Dear Friends of Puente,
There is no better way to understand the hard work, dedication, and impact of a small grassroots organization then by working with one in the field. So has been my experience with Puente a la Salud Comunitaria here in Oaxaca, Mexico.
I have had the unique opportunity to work with Puente during the past five months, covering for our Development Director, Dhaniella Falk, who has been away on maternity leave. My experience here in the offices at Puente, and in the communities where Puente works, has left a lasting impression on me.
In this month's newsletter, I would like to share with you my recent visits to communities in the Central Valley and Mixteca regions to witness our two programs in action! I invite you to read
the articles below for a behind the "seeds" perspective on Puente's work in the field.
I would also like to extend my gratitude to Puente, the staff, and the participants of our programs. You have truly inspired me during these months. I look forward to continuing my support of the promotion of amaranth and this outstanding organization.
Best wishes,
Regan Watson
Amaranth is Nutritious...AND Delicious!
Last week I accompanied Bárbara Gómez Reyes, one of Puente's Amaranth Consumption Promoters from the Healthy Families program, to the Mixteca community of Santa Caterina Tayata. I watched as she worked with a farmers' group and their family members to explain the health benefits of amaranth, and to teach them how to incorporate amaranth into their local diet through a hands-on cooking workshop.
Bárbara arrived with activities designed to stimulate dialogue and reflection amongst the group. Although initially I thought the adults would not participate, I was surprised to witness their enthusiasm and involvement. A few jokes aside, they took the activities seriously and gave well thought out responses about how amaranth can contribute to the health of their families. The group arrived at an important conclusion: Amaranth is not only for malnourished children under five years old. Amaranth has health benefits for everyone!
The group expended a lot of positive energy that resulted in a large appetite. We quickly moved into the kitchen for the cooking section of the workshop. I watched as Bárbara sought to promote leadership and participation within the group. Rather than teaching them new recipes, she asked them to prepare the local dishes in their own way. The women quickly gathered in the kitchen, and I still do not know how they did it - but suddenly all the vegetables were sliced up and the broth was boiling. We were all anxious to find out how they would mix the amaranth seeds into the pots.
Bárbara then asked the group to add the raw seeds to their boiling pots of pasta and spicy zucchini. The seeds became almost invisible as they turned transparent in color. While the women finished off the dinner preparations, the men stirred up a delicious drink made of amaranth flower, amaranth cereal, milk and sugar.
During the taste test at the end of the workshop, the group noted that they could hardly tell that the amaranth was in there! I heard Don Antonio tell his wife they now knew what to do with all their amaranth seeds in the living room! Again, these testimonials point to the diversity amaranth can offer within the local diet.
As for me, I went back for seconds. Who would have thought that something so nutritious could be so delicious!
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Passing on the Gift
Puente's farmers are learning all about the gift of giving! To ensure the long-term success of our programs, Puente feels that community participation, enthusiasm and cooperation are vital. For these reasons, we have recently included Heifer International's strategy of "Passing on the Gift" into our Eco-Amaranth program. In Puente's context, the farmers pass on knowledge, amaranth seeds, and composting worms to other farmers to give them the tools they need to cultivate amaranth.
Last week I accompanied one of our agricultural technicians in the Eco-Amaranth program, Uriel Baeza Nahed, to the mountainous community of El Peral in the Central Valley region. While there, each of the farmers gave us a crate of their homemade organic compost, jam-packed with hard-working, squiggly earthworms!
One of the techniques that Puente teaches is the use of worm composting. Worm composting is a method for recycling food waste into a rich soil conditioner. Recycling the organic waste of a household into compost allows families to return badly needed organic matter to their damaged soil. In addition, it also provides an alternative for low-resource farmers to purchasing expensive chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and aids in the long-term health of the soil and water supply.
When I asked the farmers why they had chosen to give up a generous portion of their worms, no one replied "because we have to." Rather, each farmer clearly stated that they wanted to help other farmers get started, just as Puente helped them. And so the "passing of the gift" begins!
This week, Uriel and I brought these crates of earthworms from the El Peral farmers to a community in the Mixteca region, Hidalgo Nundiche. We were received by Don Genaro, and a selection of other farmers in his community. The group worked together to build the first compost table, which will be used as a model for other households. Once constructed, Uriel showed the farmers how to incorporate the worms, how to keep the compost moist, and how the new, highly nutritious soil will be helped to cultivate amaranth.
Of course, he also reminded them that the gift should be passed on! As earthworms reproduce rapidly, there will be plenty of excess to help farmers in neighboring communities get started with their organic fertilizers!
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