Dignified Livelihoods: Honoring “El Día del Trabajador”May 2024
By Daniela Bueso, Central America Program Director
“El Día del Trabajador” or “Labor Day” is celebrated throughout Latin America on May 1st, but to us at TWP, we believe it should be celebrated every day! Our team is proud to collaborate with local partners that help train, empower, and engage people to work hard for their communities, natural resources, rights, and economic opportunities. We truly believe that having a dignified livelihood not only increases participation in various projects, but also keeps families together, provides more opportunities for younger generations, and allows people to invest back into their local economies. So in honor of all of those who work tirelessly every day in Central America, we want to recognize them and thank them for their passion, commitment, and optimism.
COEAS - Comité Ecológico de la Aldea Suyapa
The COEAS team has fought to protect its forest and watershed for 37 years with a brave group of volunteers. In January of this year, their hard work paid off as they became the co-managers of a 12,000-acre reserve that supports families in the Aldea de Suayapa and other surrounding communities that depend on this forest for their livelihoods.
AHDESA - La Asociación Hondureña para el Desarrollo
Stove builders or “Maestro/as Fogonero/as” attended a workshop with our local partner AHDESA on building the Justa 3D Stove and learning how to run a business by building stoves for other families in their communities. This program creates jobs and economic opportunities and promotes gender equity and inclusion in our work.
FUNDEBASE - Fundación para el Desarrollo y Fortalecimiento de las Organizaciones de Base
Fundebase, our newest partner in Guatemala, works with different communities in the Quiche Department on food sovereignty, nutrition, and improving local economies. Every year, they meet to reflect, analyze, and plan for the year, with high hopes to continue improving the lives of indigenous rural families.
UTZ CHE’ - La Asociación de Forestería Comunitaria de Guatemala
Utz Che’s Sustainable Family Agriculture Program (AFS) which helps to train and promote food sovereignty through family/community gardens, seed banks, and the use of organic fertilizers, has given families an additional source of income. Allowing them to grow their food, sell their produce, save seeds, and share all this knowledge with their kids and other communities.
Susana Chavez and Jonathan Chan, a family who started participating in AFS in 2018 and actively participated as a couple until 2021. In 2022, they gave up their space and allowed their children to participate in the program to learn more about all the benefits it brings.