Encouragement in the Andes
At 10,925 feet above sea level in the remote mountain communities of Bolivia’s North Potosí region, farming families face challenging climatic conditions – frost, sudden hailstorms, and water scarcity. These realities often lead to a pattern of migration. When the land fails to produce enough to sustain them, people seek work in distant citys, splitting families apart.
To combat this cycle of displacement, local partner PRODII helps farming families thrive at home by sharing both new and ancestral innovations. A cornerstone of this effort is the establishment of Andean Agroforestry Systems (SAFAs). Through this model, field technicians provide support with sustainbable techniques tailored to the environment, including soil preparation, organic fertilization, rainwater harvesting for irrigation and integrated pest management.
Doña Remigia and her husband, Don Leoncio, serve as an example of what is possible through the SAFA model. By implementing staggered production and crop diversification, they have built a garden that provides abundant food and surplus income. Their plot is a vibrant mix of fruit trees, traditional crops like corn and beans, and medicinal plants, reducing their reliance on external markets.
The couple attributes much of their progress to the consistent encouragement from PRODII technicians, Walter and Edwin. “What we value the most is the support,” Doña Remigia share. “I feel very happy when the technician comes and says ‘you are doing a great job’.”
This pride is echoed by Edwin, who notes that Doña Remigia has mastered the art of growing chili peppers – a notoriously difficult crop at this altitude – and delicious peaches, a rarity in the region.
The most tangible result of their hard work is not just the harvest, but the home they have built. Doña Remigia and Don Leoncio have constructed a house next to theirs, specifically for their adult children and grandchildren to return to from the city.
Families like Doña Remigia’s are doing more than growing food; they are mending the social fabric of North Potosí. They are proving that with encouragement and resilient techniques, the next generation can build a future on the land of their ancestors.
Bolivia North Potosí is led by Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) and local partner Interdisciplinary Integral Development Program (PRODII)