In the last five years, the members of the Committee of Women Producers Mbocakaja-Poty (which in Guarani means coconut milk) have started a dairy production microenterprise, strengthened their self-esteem and grown as an organization. “We have shown that you can dream. It is enough to love and think about our children to make things better”, says Isolina Caballero, president of the committee. "Everything can be achieved with effort and joint work," adds Regina Sanabria, another of the partners.
The faces of both reflect the pride for what has been achieved since the committee was formed in 2009 with the aim of "achieving a better quality of life and having access to things that we could not do alone," says Caballero. These women have changed their lives thanks to the support of the Rural Paraguay Project, financed by IFAD (International Fund for Agricultural Development, the UN agency specializing in rural development) and implemented by the Paraguayan Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG).
The big change came in 2011, when the Committee of Women Producers Mbocakaja-Poty began working with technicians from the Rural Paraguay Project. “They helped us see our strengths and weaknesses and we developed a plan to strengthen the organization. That's where it all started," says its president.
After several months of training in accounting administration, production and marketing of agricultural products and -also- in self-esteem, the members of the committee designed a business plan for start your small business.
“We had to think a lot about what activity we would dedicate ourselves to. We had to be able to work, still take care of our children, and also have a market that we could easily access. Dairy production was the best option,” explains Caballero. "It wasn't easy," adds Sanabria. "We had very low self-esteem and we didn't trust ourselves, it was difficult to organize and we didn't know the business [sector]."
The business plan included the purchase of a cow for each of the women, containers to transfer the milking from the stables to the collection center and a cooling tank in which to store the milk until, every two days at most, a A dairy company's refrigerated truck picks her up. Thanks to the fact that they can keep it, they no longer have to sell it for almost nothing to the first intermediary that passes by.
The project invested a total of 43,000 US dollars (just over 37,000 euros) in the purchase of the cows and other assets. But that amount also served to open a line of credit that has allowed the women of the committee to make improvements to their stables and farms. More than one, seeing the success of the initiative, decided to buy a second and even a third cow to increase their production.
"The history of the Mbocakaja-Poty Committee shows how with little money, wisely invested and accompanied by appropriate advice, the lives of small farmers can be decisively changed," says Claus Reiner, IFAD's program manager for Paraguay. Reiner explains that although the living conditions of small Paraguayan farmers have improved a lot, they still suffer from the consequences of a lack of adequate public services.
“With little money and the right advice, you can make a decisive difference in the lives of small farmers”
“Fortunately, this attitude has changed and, together with the Paraguayan government, IFAD has been working for several years to strengthen rural organizations in their many forms (unions, cooperatives, production committees, etc.). The success is visible and that is why the New Zealand Government has come in to co-finance the project”, says Reiner.
The objective, as in the case of the Women's Committee, is that rural organizations can launch production and marketing projects that increase the income of their members and allow small Paraguayan farmers to develop agricultural techniques to mitigate the terrible effects of change. weather over the country.
A new life
The women of the Committee feel that their lives have changed. “Before, sometimes we would get a little job here or there, but the only important income in the house was what our husbands brought. Now we do contribute to the family economy”, explains Isolina.
“We are no longer in a hurry. We can send our children to school, save for when a special need arises or buy foods that make our diet better and we have more well-being, "he adds. Family relationships have improved tremendously. Their husbands respect them and support their initiatives. Their children are no longer ashamed of being peasants and, instead of thinking only of emigrating, they see that it is possible to build a future in the area.
On average, each family has gone from earning $400 to $964 a month
Milk production has also increased —from 1,500 liters per month to 3,600— thanks to the incorporation of more animals and better livestock management. And obviously, also the income. On average, each member's family has seen their income grow from US$400 to US$964 per month.
At the end of 2015, Mbocakaja-Poty joined six other producer committees dedicated to dairy farming. The new organization is called the Association of Dairy Producers Oñondivepá (in Spanish, all together) and brings together 85 men and women. The increase in supply generated by this association gives these small producers a better position in the market.
And the participants do not stop making plans for the future. They want to increase the quality and quantity of their production. The Inclusive Paraguay project, also the result of collaboration between IFAD and MAG, helps them further strengthen their organization. The future is full of hope. “We want to continue increasing our income, improving our lives. Now we know that you can dream”, concludes Isolina Caballero.
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