Lucila is a renaissance woman. She is an entrepreneur, community leader, women’s empowerment advocate, wife and mother of eight children. She built her success on years of resiliency in the face of many obstacles facing women farmers. With a sixth grade education and limited access to credit, she persevered to earn a living from farming for ten years. Then she was introduced to Aldea Global – one of GP’s partners in Nicaragua.
Aldea Global provides rural families with credit, training and access to markets in order to invest in their farm, improve productivity and earn more income. Farmers learn about pricing for different crops, how to prevent and manage crop diseases, and how to diversify their crops to smooth their income.
We invest in agricultural enterprises that provide improved market access and technical assistance to smallholder farmers. Our partners work with farmers to help them increase their yields, diversify their crops, and obtain better prices for their harvest through training and basic financial management. This leads to higher and more stable income.
With working capital loans and access to better pricing, Lucila has the freedom to experiment with new crops like bananas and pigeon peas, and invest in other inputs like seeds and fertilizer. Now she has the opportunity to better provide for her family, and even help other women farmers take advantage of Aldea Global’s services.
Lucila is creating a revival in her community as a champion for hundreds of farmers. Amidst all of her success, Lucila says that her greatest achievement has been giving all of her children the opportunity to receive an education.
“I am happy when I visit farms and see that a woman has her own home and her own business, thanks to Aldea Global.”