Adding to basket
Jesús, 65 years old, is originally from Ocotolillo, in the municipaltiy of Yali in the department of Jinotega. He is the father of 7 children, and works as a farmer. He plants coffee and basic grains. Due to his poverty, he didn't learn to read or write during his childhood, as he had to work from a very young age. Nevertheless, today he attends the adult learning center for older adults where they teach them to read and write.
He began planting thanks to an uncle who taught him the trade, since he had a difficult infancy and was abandoned by his father when he was young, leaving his mother alone to raise him and his brothers. At the age of 8 he helped his uncle with piling up the corn and herding cattle. He worked with his uncle for 25 years, and for this he had given him 3 meters of land to plant beans and corn. At the age of 12, he saved his money and was able to buy 16 meters of land himself. He sold it to buy a different plot of land located in Ocotolillo. He married at the age of 30 when he already had his own farm, where he raised his children and sent them to school as long as he was able.
He asks for a loan to be able to maintain his coffee farm, including activities like filling bags, regulating planting, and manure. His future plans include improving the condition of the farm, renovating the old coffee in order to get a better yield from the harvest, and improving the quality of the coffee. His main goal is to increase the amount of land his has from 8 to 10 meters, since this way he will be able to plant more and increase his income, and at the same time improve his family's quality of life and give them financial stability.
Translated from Spanish by Kiva volunteer Mary Berghaus. View original language description.
