Osneyda Dreams of Starting a Business

By Edelia Aracelly Cruz Torrez, Empowering Women Project Officer

Osneyda, a 24-year-old mother of two, is part of a multi-generational farm family in the community of Consuelo N°1 in the municipality of San Carlos, Nicaragua.

For as long as she can remember, Osneyda’s family planted native corn and bean seeds using traditional methods. That all changed two years ago, when Osneyda joined Self-Help International’s Women’s Empowerment Program, which supports women farmers with biofortified corn, bean, and rice seeds, and helps them strengthen their farming skills and learn new techniques.

She attended each training session with enthusiasm and dedication, building on the knowledge she had acquired through farming with her family, and incorporating new tools and techniques taught by Self-Help International program officers.

Osneyda proved to be dedicated and responsible and ultimately she was selected by the Women’s Empowerment Program Officer to receive a donation of seed corn (INTA-Nutrader high-protein variety) and biofortified beans (Bio-Apante) so she could put what she had learned into practice.

Unfortunately, the biofortified beans Osneyda received from Self-Help International didn’t do very well due to circumstances beyond her control. “Sometimes it rains a lot, and then it stops, causing outbreaks of diseases and pests,” said Osneyda. “Even so, I’ll try planting them again. As farmers, we know that nothing is guaranteed; it’s a risk we always live with when we dedicate ourselves to this work.”

However, the high-quality, nutritionally rich INTA-Nutrader corn variety motivated Osneyda to learn the double-row planting technique promoted by Self-Help, a way of increasing production with a higher plant population.

From the first 10 pounds of INTA-Nutrader seed corn she received as a donation from Self-Help International, Osneyda harvested 39 bushels of corn, something she never achieved when using her traditional seed corn – a resounding success! In previous harvests, she had only managed a maximum of 32 bushels from planting native seed corn on more land.

Osneyda sold 18 bushels of the corn to meet her family’s income needs, shared 10 pounds with a neighbor, and kept the rest for consumption in her home.

One day, Osneyda was sitting in her backyard winnowing all the corn she had harvested. She was thinking about her bumper crop and remembered the training she had received from the Women’s Empowerment Program, which encourages women to think beyond the everyday duties. Then it occurred to her: what if she started a poultry farming business for fattening and slaughtering chickens for meat?

“Planting corn ensures our food supply, but the high-protein corn can also be the base for the chickens’ feed,” said Osneyda. “In other words, I already have the raw materials to start a business. I can use the corn I produce, and with the help of my children, I think I can make it happen.”

“This idea came to me thanks to the financial education and encouragement I received from the Women’s Empowerment Program,” said Osneyda. “Now I see life differently. I’m focused on my family and my own self-esteem, which is giving me the push I needed to innovate.”

She continued, saying, “Dreaming is good, but the most important thing is to start, even if it’s just a little bit. My dream is that the conditions of my home and family will improve every day, and I know that to achieve this I must work a little harder.”

“I want to thank all the benefactors of Self-Help International for providing an opportunity like this, to supply improved seeds, skills training, and financial assistance so that we women farmers can see hope on the path ahead,” says Osneyda. “I am already envisioning myself with my own chicken farm to help improve the quality of life for all members of my household. I know it will take time and effort, but I also know that I can achieve it with the support of all of you.”

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