FOMCAFE - Putla, Oaxaca, Mexico, June 2008.

Acting Program Director José Luis Zárate and International Programs Coordinator José Carlos León visited the communities of La Muralla and Teponaxtla near Putla, Oaxaca, Mexico in June.

Coffee Kids partner FomCafé works with coffee-growing communities in the area to help them develop and create projects such as edible mushroom production, family gardens, organic honey production, savings/microcredit groups and health care improvements.

We met with women from the communities of La Muralla and Santa Cruz Tutiahua who take part in the organic family garden project and the savings/microcredit groups.

During our stay, the women explained the challenges they face including a lack of health services, access to credit and viable economic options. The women then showed us how the organic vegetable project and the access to microcredit has given them an avenue to cope.

On our second day, we visited the community of Teponaxtla, where an edible mushroom production module has been installed this year. The women are enthusiastic and looking forward to continuing with the project and learning about mushroom production.

The visit gave us a clear view of the opportunities and the hopes of the women of Putla. In collaboration with FomCafé, Coffee Kids continues to support the leadership and creativity of the women in the region.

The visit reiterated the fact that any type of development and social initiative needs to be based on direct communication and close integration with the needs and priorities of the community. As they gain confidence and learn more about each of these projects, the women of La Muralla, Tutiahua and Teponaxtla are gradually taking the lead of these projects and initiatives.

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items are from between 21 Jun 2008 & 22 Jun 2008.