Stories of Change


Don Chepe with his cow. Photo: CASM


In an eight-month period in 2015 and 2016, CWS's work in Honduras included helping to organize 15 water management committees, helping 10 families begin using drip-irrigation systems, food and nutrition training for 45 families and peer exchanges for 29 farmers.

“Sharing with a neighbor is the best!”

At the beginning of 2015, José María Melgar – a small coffee-grower known as Don Chepe in his community of Buena Vista, Honduras – received a calf through a CWS- and Foods Resource Bank-supported program implemented by partner CASM. The cost of that cow was about $490 US.

Don Chepe was a natural choice to receive the calf. He had been an active participant in all trainings and workshops offered in his community through the program, including those on nutrition, soil management and livelihood diversification. He was ready.

Time passed, and eventually Don Chepe’s calf grew into an adult cow. Then she gave birth to a calf. Don Chepe was able to pay it forward, and he gave that calf to his neighbor, Enrique Peña. Enrique is the father of five children, including a daughter with a disability, and had been preparing his family and his land to receive the calf for a year.

Don Chepe says that the mother cow, which remains his, is incredibly productive and gives lots of milk. The cow is now valued at $1,280. He will not sell his precious gift, because he says he has a moral responsibility to take care of her.

He says, “Before I had my cow, my family used to buy one gallon of milk per month. Now we have four gallons each day. Thanks to this cow, we drink all the milk we want, we produce milk derivatives and we even sell milk to purchase other products we need.”

Don Chepe says he is looking forward to the day when Enrique’s calf is grown and has a calf of her own that Enrique will be able to give to yet another family to change their lives. He says, “I want my cow to keep having calves. I am so thankful to CASM for being part of this project.”