Seeds of hope in Nicaragua

This story was originally titled "Seeds of Hope" in the March 2009 issue. Subscribe to Canadian Living today and never miss an issue!

On a humid afternoon in late January, Flor de Maria Espinoza shows me around her workplace. It's a small, unassuming naturopathic clinic in rural Nicaragua, where dogs stretch out along the edge of the street, snoozing in the midday sun. But to Flor and the other residents of Achuapa, the clinic is a symbol of hope and progress. Western medicine is too expensive for most people, says Flor. "But here," she adds, gesturing proudly about, "no one will ever be turned away."

It's no small feat for a woman to earn a living in this remote community of 13,000. Nicaragua is the second most impoverished country in the western world and it remains a mostly male-dominated society, with plenty of unpaid work for women (child rearing, cooking and endless chores), but too few opportunities to earn a paycheque. This is especially true in rural regions. "Our community is very poor," emphasizes Flor, a petite 50-year-old single mother of six.

Health care for all residents and employment for women are just a few of the welcome benefits that Achuapa is reaping from a local cooperative of sesame seed farmers. The Juan Francisco Paz Silva co-op formed in the early 1990s, when individual farmers grew tired of being cheated by dishonest clients and realized they could get a better deal for their sesame seed oil if they banded together. Since then, the co-op has funded schools, housing and clean-water projects, a subsidized general store and a credit union (the only bank in town), which has handed out more than $6 million in low-interest loans.

Brigido Souza, the co-op's president, explains that the group's ability to help people rise out of poverty stems from a fair-trade agreement with the buyers of its sesame seed oil. The price that the co-op charges includes a premium that is invested back into the community. The largest buyer is The Body Shop. It uses sesame seed oil in about 60 of its products, and has a long-term commitment to buy from the farmers.

Perhaps the biggest beneficiaries of this equitable partnership are the women of Achuapa, who have not traditionally fared well in this community. For instance, the town has one of the highest rates of domestic violence in Nicaragua, and many mothers, like Flor, are left struggling to raise children on their own.

"We've seen a lot of advancements for women under the co-op," says Wana Rodriguez, 54, whose husband, Epifano, 48, is a sesame seed farmer. She adds that the co-op is encouraging women to play a greater role in the community and become more independent. For example, Wana organized a group of women to buy ovens that produce less smoke in homes and, as a result, reduce health problems.

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