MARIA ESTEBANA: AN EXTRAORDINARY FARMER
Maria Estebana Calderon dropped out of school without having learned to spell her name correctly. After her mother's sudden death, she had no choice but to grow up fast and help raise her four younger siblings. Along with her father, she worked long hours in her family's corn plantation in San Jose del Tigre, Condega, one of the most isolated communities of Nicaragua.
Despite the difficulties, Maria Estebana never lost her faith, nor her smile. With extraordinary determination, she learned to read by herself, flipping through the pages of her family Bible. Years later, she strove to bring food to the table and raise her children, selling tortillas in the community with incredible drive. At 56, she still lives in San Jose del Tigre with her husband, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter.
"Life here is not easy; my son had to migrate to seek employment opportunities… we pray to be reunited soon."
In 2020, Maria Estebana joined ANF's Growing Hope, a bio-intensive agriculture project aiming to provide vulnerable families with technical assistance to improve food security. Since joining the project, Maria Estebana has harvested a range of vegetables and fruits for consumption and sale, including carrots, tomatoes, cantaloupes, dragon fruits, onions, and lettuce. Today, she has a wide variety of nutrients available that she otherwise could not access.
"Many times, money was not enough to buy the things that I now have in my garden."
Through the project, Maria Estebana has also received a pump and water tank to facilitate the irrigation of her garden. Before, she and her daughter-in-law would go down a steep slope to collect water from the river and climb 400 meters back carrying heavy buckets.
"My life has changed in many ways, and for that, I thank God and everyone who has supported us. My dream is to continue growing and moving forward in life."
Maria Estebana’s story is featured on our 2020 Annual Report.
Read full report below.