Greenhouses keep families together in Guatemala

Petrona is from Flores de Turanza, Guatemala. She works in a greenhouse that has built by CIEDEG, the local partner of CWS and Foods Resource Bank. CWS supports a total of 68 greenhouses in Guatemala that produce vegetables for consumption and income.

The community of Flores de Turanza was created in 1996 as part of peace accords. When Petrona and the others moved to Flores de Turanza, their social fabric – including their means of making a living – were destroyed. CWS and CIEDEG are working to restore the community by providing training and materials to build the greenhouses. Each greenhouse provides work for five or six people. One of the largest benefits of the greenhouses is that they allow community members to make a living locally, so they do not have to migrate to the coast to look for work. This means that families are more likely to stay together, and children can attend school more consistently.

When FRB staff visited recently, the greenhouses were either full of produce, or they were being replanted following successful harvests. Petrona’s greenhouse was no exception. In her words, “We harvested 350 lbs of tomatoes from the greenhouse between the six of us in our group. Most of it our families eat. We sell a little bit though so that we can plant again. We don’t want to be dependent on others.”

Maria, who also works in one of the greenhouses, added, “I give thanks to God for the opportunity you have given us to provide for our families. I no longer have to buy produce from the market and my husband no longer has to migrate to the coast for work.”

By providing materials and employment, CWS and its partners are helping to end hunger sustainably and in the long term.