For over 50 years, TechnoServe has helped hardworking women and men in the developing world gain the skills, connections, and confidence to create self-sustaining businesses and build a path out of poverty. In part three of this series, we ask a few of these farmers and entrepreneurs to share how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted their lives and how they are coping with its effects.
In San Martín, Peru, coca used to dominate the landscape. Now, through the Coffee Alliance for Excellence (CAFE) program, farmers in former coca-growing regions are learning how to improve their livelihoods through coffee.
When Juliana Solís Barón first opened her coffee shop in Peru’s San Martín region, she had no idea what to expect. Even before the coronavirus pandemic, running a coffee shop for the first time presented many challenges. But building a stable, prosperous coffee sector in this once-dangerous area is helping farmers and entrepreneurs like Juliana to improve their incomes and lives.
Young people in Brazil often struggle to find employment opportunities, particularly in rural areas. TechnoServe, Anglo American, and the Inter-American Development Bank are helping people like Mariana dos Santos Pinho gain the skills, knowledge, and confidence they need to find meaningful employment and take charge of their lives.
For farming families in central Peru, coca production brought income but also a constant threat of violence. Back then, these regions were dominated by the drug trade. Today, families in former coca-growing areas are learning how to improve their livelihoods through an alternative crop: coffee.
In Chile, the coronavirus pandemic is threatening the survival of many micro and small businesses. We talked to Corina Rivas, TechnoServe’s Chile country director, about the “very hard” situation on the ground, and how TechnoServe is helping entrepreneurs “reset” their businesses to survive.
After 12 years with TechnoServe, Victor Ganoza, country director in Peru, will be retiring next month. We sat down with him to reflect on his time with the organization, the biggest challenges he has faced along the way, and what has been the most rewarding part of his work.
Chocolate is one of the world’s most popular foods, but who actually grows the cocoa that serves as the base for this delicious treat? Meet a few of the farmers who are changing their lives using income from cocoa.
By supporting innovation and the transfer of technology between regions, TechnoServe is helping women farmers improve their production and their lives.
In the next part of our consumer spotlight series, we are highlighting the unique profile of Peruvian coffee. In Peru, TechnoServe works with coffee farmers in former coca-growing regions through the Coffee Alliance for Excellence (CAFE) program.
