María Santos
SHi-Belize Partnering farmer
María Santos harvesting cabbage from her organic home garden in October 2020.
As a 37-year-old, single mother of seven, María Santos must protect her energy by only committing to things she knows will help her family. Once she learned how SHI’s program would improve her family’s livelihood, she was certain that partnering with SHI-Belize team would be well worth her time.
SHI field trainer Indira Patt taught María how to grow food for her family in her own backyard. While many of her neighbors grow crops in plots of land far away from their homes, a backyard garden meant that she could grow and harvest crops while staying close to home and her children.
María’s daughter helping sow annatto seeds in nursery bags in July 2021. The annatto seed is used to make recado, a seasoning for meat.
In addition to fresh vegetables in a backyard garden, Indira and the SHI-Belize team helped her build an improved chicken coop and a clean cookstove. By raising chickens, she’s able to provide her children with an additional source of protein. A clean, wood-conserving cookstove means she spends less time gathering firewood. She’s also removed smoke and particulate matter from her kitchen, making sure her children breathe clean air.
These things – healthy, nutritious food, and clean air – have had a BIG impact on María and her children’s lives.
“It used to be difficult for me to get food because things were expensive, but now that I practice planting, it is easier,” María says. “I am learning to plant with my children. There are no chemicals in [our food] and they are learning from a young age to plant their own healthy food.”
“Always moving forward, I am eating healthy and my kids are healthier.”
María’s work with SHI has a ripple effect. She’s sharing her knowledge and passion for organic farming with her children, and she’s also sharing it with her neighbors. In fact, María tells us that her most memorable experience has been working with other women in the area and teaching them how to manage their gardens and create their own organic fertilizers.
María and her community of Patchakan have been partnering with SHI since 2018. And in just a few more months, they’ll graduate from SHI’s 5-phase agroecology training program. Their hard work and dedication over the last five years have truly paid off.
Since she began partnering with SHI, María has planted 40 trees on her property, converted a half an acre of land to sustainable and organic production, and produced over 440 pounds of organic compost.
Where does María see herself and her children five years from now? Well, we’ll let her speak for herself:
