The community of La Bendición, Guatemala has been a key part of our overall presence in Guatemala since Sebastian Africano, Trees, Water & People´s International Director, first began to cultivate the relationship with local partner Utz Che’, over four years ago. La Bendición is one of over 40 communities represented by Utz Che´, an umbrella organization that provides legal services and critical advocacy to underserved, mostly indigenous, communities.

The history of La Bendición is as complex and compelling as that of Guatemala as a whole. Currently, the community consists of three distinct ethnic groups from the western side of the country who fled their homes in search of a more stable and hospitable place to settle. They were promised a fertile area with well-equipped infrastructure, but instead found a challenging mountainside with high winds, limited water, and very poor road access.

TWP has supported the community with a variety of development projects, including solar lighting, clean cookstoves, water infrastructure improvements, and agroforestry.

The work of the local youth group in La Bendición stands out in particular when we share stories of this community. With a grant from TWP, the young group created a tree nursery and planted pineapple fields, which have expanded seven-fold in just the last couple of years, from an original total of 5,000 plants to over 35,000 total plants per year.

The expansion of the pineapple project has grown to include the use of more organic methods with help from one of the community´s younger members, who studied organic agricultural practices at university before returning to share his expertise with fellow campesinos. This type of engagement from the youth is critical to insure the creation of economic opportunities that allow them to remain part of the community´s present and future development plans and resist the urges of immigration.

Through education and public awareness, the youth group remains committed and dedicated guardians of the forest. With hard work and perseverance, they have managed to improve their quality of life through the design and implementation of critical projects, like apiculture and organic pineapple production, as well as cultivation of high-value crops such as coconuts, cashews, citrus, coffee, and cacao. These trees provide an important source of income to young farmers while promoting natural resource conservation and forest health.