Silvia del Carmen Cruz does'nt know a thing about agriculture. No matter. Everything her family will need, including materials, hens and advice, will come courtesy of local partners, with help from ONE DROP'sWater, Culture and Agriculture Project in Nicaragua (or PECAN, the project's French acronym). In a few weeks, Silvia will begin carving a new life for herself, her husband and their three children. And she's very much looking forward to it.
When the PECAN technician arrives, she'll bring with her fences, barbed wire and a fountain of knowledge on how to set up a garden and keep chickens. She will also teach Silvia how to use her soon-to-be-installed, environmentally-friendly stove, which will burn less wood than the one she has now and vent its smoke through a chimney rather than letting it fill the house, potentially leading to respiratory problems.
Outside the house, a brood of hens will soon provide the family with an invaluable source of protein and revenue. Eggs will improve the family's diet, while money made from selling the surplus will help buy other types of food as well as medicine and shoes. In the garden, Silvia will be taught how to grow her choice of fruits and vegetables.
But beyond an expanded menu and an improved standard of living, Silvia and her husband look forward to how these changes will give new meaning to their daily lives and those of their children.
Learn more about the Water, Culture and Agriculture Project in Nicaragua.
Published on June 23, 2007