Our Work
Who We Are
Guatemala
Vía 4, 01-00, Zona 4
Edificio Campus Tecnológico
Torre 2, Oficina 1102
Guatemala, Guatemala 01004
USA
Semilla Nueva
P.O. BOX 8643
Boise, ID 83707
We have always felt that Semilla Nueva has a deep promise to fulfill; that so much passion from so many people had to be leading to something big. 2013 was the year we truly began to see that promise become a reality. Four times as many farmers experimented with new farming techniques this year. We ran a census that showed hundreds of families following our farmer leaders’ examples and changing their practices. (more…)
What can we say about Trini Recinos? A pastor’s heart, an academic’s mind, and a best friend’s compassion. Those who’ve met him know his easy-going personality, his jokes, his smooth crooning voice, and his dedication to his work. Trini has been with Semilla Nueva from the beginning. In fact, since before the beginning.
“If you give me a fish, you have fed me for a day. If you teach me how to fish you have fed me until the river is contaminated or the shoreline seized for development. But if you teach me to organize then whatever the challenge I can join together with my peers and we will fashion our own solution.”
Gaspar Zarat walks towards us with a spring in his step exuding a sense of pride and integrity. “Welcome, welcome!” His wife whisks us over to three plastic seats, and brings us cool beverages, a nice relief from a 90-degree day.
Curt Bowen, Executive Director of Semilla Nueva, goes from the air-conditioned offices of Guatemala’s Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology (ICTA) to the tropical heat of coastal Suchitepequez and notices one thing: the innovative agricultural techniques discussed by the government are not reaching the eager minds of smallholder farmers. But there is new hope.
We sat eating our freshly steamed elote while Alfredo spoke of the planting season underway in his community of Nuevos Bracitos. But rather than speaking with the excitement of an impending harvest, he spoke with hesitance and uncertainty—sentiments mirrored by campesinos across the country. He looked across the table to Trinidad Recinos, Semilla Nueva’s Program Director, for answers to an unprecedented question: Why has Guatemala’s usually dependable rainy season suddenly become irregular?
Individual Rotary clubs are helping communities help themselves all over the world in a number of incredible, impactful projects. Then along came Rotary International’s (RI) Global Grant – a new idea that combines the contributions of several individual clubs, matches those contributions at the Rotary District and International level, and creates significant financial support for a project. (more…)