eng.asociacion de produccion comunitaria, flor del cafê

8/2/2019 eng.ASOCIACION DE PRODUCCION COMUNITARIA, FLOR DEL CAF

1/5

Men and Women Processing the Best Coffee

2

1. Where does the experience take place?The communal organization Flor del Caf is located in the community of Chuaperol,Rabinal Municipality, B.V, 15.5 kilometers away from the municipal town, about anhour by dirt road.

The association is composed of 25 members - 13 women and 12 men- that belong tothe Achi ethnic group, it has an administrative council composed of 4 men and 2women.

The organization is dedicated to coffee production and processing. Women membersare also engaged in the artisanal production of soap and shampoo, as additionalactivity of income generation.

In 1992, there were parallel committees of men and women. Men were organized toimprove coffee production quality; women were engaged in the artisanal production ofsoap and shampoo. It is important to clarify that while it is true that men and womenwere engaged in different activities, women have always been present in theproductive chain of coffee; their contribution was not perceived as a responsibility and

was not recognized.

The committee of coffee producers, with the support of ANACAFE, started to supportthe organization with technical assistance and trainings on coffee management,improving the production process, since this is a suitable area for this crop. In 2005,a technician from PRODEVER visited the organization, and presented them theopportunity to receiving training, commenting the benefits of having legal status, andalso offering training and monitoring. The organization accepted the support programand the opportunity, after a while they realized that the committee was good andcould become an organization with the support and monitoring that was offered,beside the economic support they obtained to get organized. Members participated inworkshops and started with the process to obtain legal status, thanking PRODEVER

and the technicians for their support.

2. What do we learn from this experience? Identify active participation of women in the entire coffee chain. Womens perseverance and fighting spirit to support and motivate men to

overcome adversities and difficulties in the production of coffee. Womens empowerment in the coffee production organization. The integration of families involved in coffee production, as an accomplishment

of womens fighting spirit with defined roles in coffee production.


2/5

Learning Route:

Tools to mainstream gender equity and womens empowerment

in IFADs projects: the experience of Central America

3

3. What are the milestones and key moments of the experience?Beginning of the organization

In Chichupac community there were 2 development committees: one of men engagedin coffee production, supported by ANACAFE that provided training on coffeemanagement; the other was the womens committee, supported by severalinstitutions, aimed at training women in their houses. Women were trained in artisanalelaboration of soap and shampoo, they still involved in said activity; at that stage menand women worked separately, men didnt give women the possibility of joining thecoffee committee, as men considered women had nothing to contribute.

Later a PRODEVERs technician arrived to the community and posed the possibility ofreceiving training and monitoring, including the participation of women. Thecommunity accepted the opportunity proposed by PRODEVER, eventually they

recognized that it was important to be organized and considered the possibility ofbecoming an association, with due guidance, advice and support.

Women supporting men

The organizations men identify and value the unconditional support of women atcritical moments for the coffee committee. They got a loan of Q 100,000.00, and fornot paying taxes the SAT (Superintendance of Tax Adminnistration) fined them. Themen wanted to dissolve the organization, they were afraid of not being able to pay theloan, they couldnt find a way out. The wives addressed the problem and defendedtheir husbandsrights. The women found a way to solve the problem; they themselvestook the responsibility in the work. Thanks to their perseverance, support and fightingspirit, they were able to pay the loan. In this way, women got a place with their

husbands, and started to work in the coffee process to obtain funds for the payments.It is important to emphasize that womens fighting attitude won their spousesconfidence, in this way women were accepted in the association.

Training process

The organization considers that training is the strongest element provided byPRODEVER; the directive board developed various organizational, administrative,accounting and managing capacities. Training topics that are most recalled are thefollowing: gender equity, self-esteem, administrative and accounting aspects, values.Gender training allowed them to change their mentality, they discovered that men andwomen could work together; as a result the association- including men and women-was created.

Women getting involved in the process of coffee toasting and grinding

Women started picking up coffee waste not used by the community. Womenshowed that they had skills to roast coffee. As consequence, the organizationdecided that women will be in charge of coffee toasting and grinding, leaving partof the parchment to be processed by women.

It is important to emphasize that women supported men to pay the loan withresources obtained from selling toasted and ground coffee. The fighting spirit is a


3/5


4

characteristic of Chichupac community; women are always willing to take part in allthe activities in the organization.

4. What are the results and achievements in terms of womensempowerment?

At personal level

Women with strengthened capacities in the areas of administration and projectmanagement, as consequence of their involvement in the coffee toasting andgrinding process, they are processing from 80 to 100 pounds per month.

Women have achieved decision-making positions in the directive board of theassociation, their ideas and opinions are accepted by men. Men say that womenhave influenced 60% of decisions made in the organization. Eje has recommendedvisiting other successful areas and projects to learn about commercialization andmarketing experiences to continue improving, expanding their horizons and seekingnew opportunities.

Women have learned to prepare and use compost and new production techniques;Sara Crdoba and her husband double coffee berries production, from 18 quintals

in 2008 to 35 quintals. Women are generating their own income from the sale of ground coffee and soap

and shampoo that they sell at the municipal and departmental town, as well as infairs. In this way, they contribute with their families, activity that previously wasonly held by men as head of the household.

Coffee roasting has generated jobs for 11 women; this activity is only performed bywomen as they have the skills. The work is done in shifts; women receive a paymentof Q 50.00 quetzals per day.

Indigenous women have the equipment for the job, and are trained to performactivities in the artisanal coffee grinding chain.

Women administrate a microcredit system that is used to cover basic needs andemergencies; the interest rate is 5%.

At familiar level

Women have received training in diversification of production; they have their owncoffee parcels, have learned composting and worm-faming, and prepare soap andshampoo.

They are excelling in coffee roasting and its commercialization, at this stage they aresupported by men. They commercialize parchment coffee and women ground coffee;identifying a distribution of activities and responsibilities around the coffee production

chain.

With PRODEVERs support they have managed to equip their storage facility for groundcoffee processing; they have financed a dryer, a mil, a sealing machine for packingcoffee, gloves and masks.


4/5

Learning Route:

Tools to mainstream gender equity and womens empowerment

in IFADs projects: the experience of Central America

5

Success factors

They have managed to remain united with the base of organizational strengtheninggiven by PRODEVER.

They consider they have the skills to develop the coffee business; despite the productis subject to seasonal loses.

Challenges

Improve production levels and appropriated guidance to market the product, currentlythey are only selling locally.

5. Who are the relevant stakeholders (public and private, inside andoutside the territory) in the development of the experience of womens

empowerment?

ANACAFE, which has provided technical assistance to improve production levels andcoffee quality.

PRODEVER, which has supported institutional strengthening, training, seed capital andsupplies for coffee and shampoo packaging; it has also promoted the participation ofwomen in the productive chain.CIF: Centro de integracin familiar (Family integration center).SHARE.

6. What tools and good practices implemented by PRODEVER havecontributed to these achievements?

Training

Since the beginning PRODEVER implemented training on gender and self-esteem,helping to change our thinking that women could only work in the house. We alsolearned about womens rights, because we believed that women had no rights.

Other interesting topic was domestic violence; we cannot accept these behaviors in ourfamilies; respect is important for our self-esteem and our childrens self-esteem.Women were trained in coffee processing and packaging.

Organizational Strengthening: PRODEVER focused on strengthening ourorganization, functions, management, resources administration, administrative affairsand accounting. Women were included to receive the same training as men.

Seed Capital: seed capital and supplies were provided for the organization in order toproduce coffee and prepare soap and shampoo, an ecological dryer, bags and labels forcoffee packaging were purchased, part of the supplies were used by women.

Women inclusion in exchange visits, workshops and technical assistance: Wehave the opportunity of taking part in visits, technical assistance, workshops the same


5/5


6

as men, in the past we didnt have that right and opportunity. We learned a lot abouttechnical aspects of coffee production, we lost fear to speak in public and we learned toexpress our feelings without fear.

7. What are the lessons learned?Gender equity has promoted more equitable relations between members of ruralfamilies, promoting business organization.

There should be more involvement in womens empowerment, as it has been provedthat they can efficiently administrate financial resources.

Working with the family strengthens productive activities, identifying commonobjectives, such as income generation to improve life conditions.

The entire community benefits from training on production, access to markets,technological innovation and local strengthening; transferring said knowledge to otherfamilies.

eng.asociacion de produccion comunitaria, flor del cafê

Documents