Think Creative - Issue 2

seeds of hope

Harvesting rainwater in the Dry Corridor: How does it work?

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PIPES collect & filter rainwater from the roof

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GEOMEMBRANE BAG stores water safely

tain criteria and have access to some land will be supported by the project in implementing agri- cultural business plans to increase productivity and raise their incomes by up to 30 percent. For those without land for planting, non-agricul- tural business plans will identify other ways for families to generate income and connect to the value chains in their communities. For many families, low incomes contribute to food insecurity and poor household living con- ditions, which can have long-lasting repercus- sions on health, particularly for children. Escobar’s wife, Juana, stands over her wood stove, flipping thin corn tortillas on a metal pan she’s placed over the flame. Through the project, Mercado says she’s learning some new recipes, like for tamales made with green corn. The cooking tips are one small way ACS- PROSASUR is helping families like hers im- prove their food security. And soon she will have more ingredients to work with as the project helps the family plant a small garden of new vegetables and basic grains. For the couple – and the flock of grand- children sitting in the kitchen, some scram- bling to finish homework before heading off to

Rony Alvarez (left) explains to Juan Escobar how his new composting system will help to fertilize his crops.

Changing mindsets, sharing knowledge But building trust and changing long-stand- ing traditional practices is a challenge, par- ticularly in isolated communities like Siete de Mayo. The project depends on a network of staff and volunteers to keep up with hard-to- reach families, braving steep, rocky roads and

school – the garden will help diversify diets and improve nutrition. “I hope for some help, that they’ll be able to plant corn, beans, all kinds of vegetables that you can plant in the summer,” she says. “They’re going to plant squash, carrots, onions, lettuce, string beans and cucumbers.”

Infographic by Amanda Smallwood

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