In the dry hills of Carazo, Nicaragua, every rainy season matters. Families depend on the land for food and income, but frequent droughts and poor soil conditions make farming more difficult each year. For a long time, each season brought more uncertainty than harvest.
Every year, an estimated 55 million people around the world is affected by droughts. Drought threatens people’s livelihoods, increases the risk of disease and fuels mass migration as they pose the greatest threat to livestock and crops globally.
Through a CWS-supported project*, families like Omar, Elma and Reyna’s are adapting to climate shocks and building resilience for future droughts. Through training, technical support and community savings groups, they are strengthening their livelihoods and ensuring there is food on the table for their loved ones.
Omar’s Story: Improving Farming Practices
Omar Antonio Cabrera Selva lives in the community of Barranco Bayo with his wife and two children. Looking for a better way forward, he joined a CWS-supported Farmer Field School, where he received training in climate-resilient agricultural practices.
“Before, I only grew maize and sorghum using traditional methods, which did not give good results. Now I can say that I live better and am better prepared to deal with droughts,” Omar says.
Instead of burning his fields, Omar now rotates crops and uses crop residue to protect and enrich the soil. He has improved his harvests by planting fruit trees and using ground cover to retain soil moisture. Through the project, Omar also received a drip irrigation system, improvements to his well, a sanitary latrine, livestock and vegetable seeds.
“I now produce food all year round, save money because I grow much of what we eat and have increased my income,” Omar said. “Most importantly, all of this has helped bring my family closer together because we have achieved these improvements as a team.”
Additional income from raising pigs enabled Omar to expand his livestock operation. He also joined a community savings group, which gave his family access to affordable loans to invest in their business.
Today, with support from their neighbors, emergency savings and climate-resilient infrastructure, Omar’s family is better prepared to face future droughts.
Elma’s Story: Building Financial Stability
In San Pedro de los Molinos, Elma del Socorro Soto Baltodano found her own path to financial stability. Before joining her local savings group, Elma relied on occasional jobs and often turned to high-interest lenders when emergencies arose. Saving money felt impossible.
Through affordable loans from the group, Elma expanded her small shop, invested in pig and poultry production and steadily increased her family’s income. She shared, “I went from depending on others to feeling in control of my future.”
Today, Elma serves as president of the savings group, encouraging others in her community to participate.
“I no longer live with constant worry about not having money for emergencies,” Elma said. “The biggest change for me has been the sense of security and peace of mind I now have.”
Interest in the program has grown significantly. There are now two active savings groups with 59 members, each providing financial resources and community support that help families invest in their futures.
Reyna’s Story: From Hard Work to Better Planning
For Reyna Isabel Ramos Romero, progress meant changing the way she viewed her daily work. She and her husband had built a small poultry business, raising up to 150 broiler chickens at a time. But despite all their hard work, they had never learned how to track whether the business was actually profitable.
“For me, the fact that all the chickens were sold felt like a big gain,” Reyna explains. “I used to think that everything I earned was profit.”
Through entrepreneurship training, Reyna learned how to keep financial records, calculate production costs, set competitive prices and reinvest earnings.
“I know this knowledge will help me understand what it truly costs to produce each chicken and allow me to set better prices.”
Today, Reyna is making more informed business decisions that are helping position her family for long-term success.
One Year Later: Results That Show Progress
In its first year, the project provided training in farming, financial management and small business development to approximately 600 participants across 15 communities in Carazo. As a result, individuals and families have experienced meaningful improvements:
- 129 farmers adopted climate-smart, eco-friendly farming practices
- 110 households started new income-generating activities
- 79 families created diversified home gardens to improve nutrition
- 120 households diversified their income and no longer depend on a single source
At the same time, 17 Community Savings Groups, comprising more than 390 members, more than half of whom are women, have provided 675 low-interest loans. Together, these groups have established a locally driven financial system that will continue supporting communities long after the project ends.
In Carazo, change is about more than better harvests or higher incomes. It is about families gaining the tools, skills and support they need to build a more secure future together.
The Strengthening Livelihoods, Family Economy and Local Resilience project is implemented by the Centro Inter Eclesial de Estudios Teológicos y Sociales (CIEETS) with support from CWS and Growing Hope Globally.
CWS works with local partners worldwide to strengthen livelihoods, improve food security and help communities adapt to challenges such as climate change. By supporting locally led solutions, CWS helps families build resilience and create lasting opportunities for the future.
To learn more about CWS’s work in Central America, click here.