Men and Women Processing the Best Coffee

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 an hour by dirt road. The association is composed of 25 members - 13 women and 12 men- that belong to the Achi ethnic group, it has an administrative council composed of 4 men and 2 women. The organization is dedicated to coffee production and processing. Women members are also engaged in the artisanal production of soap and shampoo, as additional activity of income generation. In 1992, there were parallel committees of men and women. Men were organized to improve coffee production quality; women were engaged in the artisanal production of soap and shampoo. It is important to clarify that while it is true that men and women were engaged in different activities, women have always been present in the productive 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 support the 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 the opportunity to receiving training, commenting the benefits of having legal status, and also offering training and monitoring. The organization accepted the support program and the opportunity, after a while they realized that the committee was good and could become an organization with the support and monitoring that was offered, beside the economic support they obtained to get organized. Members participated in workshops 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.

Learning Route: Tools to mainstream gender equity and womens empowerment in IFADs projects: the experience of Central America

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 engaged in coffee production, supported by ANACAFE that provided training on coffee management; the other was the womens committee, supported by several institutions, aimed at training women in their houses. Women were trained in artisanal elaboration of soap and shampoo, they still involved in said activity; at that stage men and women worked separately, men didnt give women the possibility of joining the coffee committee, as men considered women had nothing to contribute. Later a PRODEVERs technician arrived to the community and posed the possibility of receiving training and monitoring, including the participation of women. The community accepted the opportunity proposed by PRODEVER, eventually they recognized that it was important to be organized and considered the possibility of becoming an association, with due guidance, advice and support. Women supporting men The organizations men identify and value the unconditional support of women at critical moments for the coffee committee. They got a loan of Q 100,000.00, and for not paying taxes the SAT (Superintendance of Tax Adminnistration) fined them. The men wanted to dissolve the organization, they were afraid of not being able to pay the loan, they couldnt find a way out. The wives addressed the problem and defended their husbands rights. The women found a way to solve the problem; they themselves took the responsibility in the work. Thanks to their perseverance, support and fighting spirit, 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 spouses confidence, in this way women were accepted in the association. Training process The organization considers that training is the strongest element provided by PRODEVER; the directive board developed various organizational, administrative, accounting and managing capacities. Training topics that are most recalled are the following: gender equity, self-esteem, administrative and accounting aspects, values. Gender training allowed them to change their mentality, they discovered that men and women could work together; as a result the association- including men and womenwas created. Women getting involved in the process of coffee toasting and grinding Women started picking up coffee waste not used by the community. Women showed that they had skills to roast coffee. As consequence, the organization decided that women will be in charge of coffee toasting and grinding, leaving part of the parchment to be processed by women. It is important to emphasize that women supported men to pay the loan with resources obtained from selling toasted and ground coffee. The fighting spirit is a

Men and Women Processing the Best Coffee

characteristic of Chichupac community; women are always willing to take part in all the activities in the organization. 4. What are empowerment? At personal level Women with strengthened capacities in the areas of administration and project management, as consequence of their involvement in the coffee toasting and grinding process, they are processing from 80 to 100 pounds per month. Women have achieved decision-making positions in the directive board of the association, their ideas and opinions are accepted by men. Men say that women have influenced 60% of decisions made in the organization. Eje has recommended visiting other successful areas and projects to learn about commercialization and marketing experiences to continue improving, expanding their horizons and seeking new 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 in fairs. In this way, they contribute with their families, activity that previously was only held by men as head of the household. the results and achievements in terms of womens

Coffee roasting has generated jobs for 11 women; this activity is only performed by women as they have the skills. The work is done in shifts; women receive a payment of Q 50.00 quetzals per day. Indigenous women have the equipment for the job, and are trained to perform activities in the artisanal coffee grinding chain. Women administrate a microcredit system that is used to cover basic needs and emergencies; the interest rate is 5%. At familiar level Women have received training in diversification of production; they have their own coffee parcels, have learned composting and worm-faming, and prepare soap and shampoo. They are excelling in coffee roasting and its commercialization, at this stage they are supported 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 ground coffee processing; they have financed a dryer, a mil, a sealing machine for packing coffee, gloves and masks.

Learning Route: Tools to mainstream gender equity and womens empowerment in IFADs projects: the experience of Central America
Success factors They have managed to remain united with the base of organizational strengthening given by PRODEVER. They consider they have the skills to develop the coffee business; despite the product is subject to seasonal loses. Challenges Improve production levels and appropriated guidance to market the product, currently they are only selling locally. 5. Who are the relevant stakeholders (public and private, inside and outside the territory) in the development of the experience of womens empowerment? ANACAFE, which has provided technical assistance to improve production levels and coffee quality. PRODEVER, which has supported institutional strengthening, training, seed capital and supplies for coffee and shampoo packaging; it has also promoted the participation of women in the productive chain. CIF: Centro de integracin familiar (Family integration center). SHARE. 6. What tools and good practices implemented by PRODEVER have contributed 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 also learned about womens rights, because we believed that women had no rights. Other interesting topic was domestic violence; we cannot accept these behaviors in our families; 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 our organization, functions, management, resources administration, administrative affairs and accounting. Women were included to receive the same training as men. Seed Capital: seed capital and supplies were provided for the organization in order to produce coffee and prepare soap and shampoo, an ecological dryer, bags and labels for coffee packaging were purchased, part of the supplies were used by women. Women inclusion in exchange visits, workshops and technical assistance: We have the opportunity of taking part in visits, technical assistance, workshops the same

Men and Women Processing the Best Coffee

as men, in the past we didnt have that right and opportunity. We learned a lot about technical aspects of coffee production, we lost fear to speak in public and we learned to express our feelings without fear. 7. What are the lessons learned?

Gender equity has promoted more equitable relations between members of rural families, promoting business organization. There should be more involvement in womens empowerment, as it has been proved that they can efficiently administrate financial resources. Working with the family strengthens productive activities, identifying common objectives, 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 other families.