Social Outreach Program
The Social Outreach Program targeted to the workers of the farms and their families, represents Liberté Coffee’s social commitment to promote better life conditions, education, and access to medical services for these families; which in turn, will improve their overall development.
The proposed actions for our program, are devised in collaboration with these families, who know best about the challenges they face, and the possible solutions. Initially the target communities for this program include “El Papal” and “Wiya”, both part of San Ildefonso Ixtahuacán, municipality of Huehuetenango; and eventually will expand to other communities and individuals who are part of Liberté Coffee value chain.
El Papal
San Ildefonso Ixtahuacán, Huehuetenango
Wiya
San Ildefonso Ixtahuacán, Huehuetenango
Families of the communities El Papal y Wiya
The Situation
In Guatemala, like other coffee producing countries, the coffee farm workers are part of a group of “jornaleros agrícolas”, or
agriculture laborer; a group usually with poor working conditions, no labor contract or benefits, and salaries that barely or
in many cases do not cover basic needs.
Usually, most of the family works during the harvest season only, representing the only opportunity of formal work to collect
an income that they use to survive all year long. These farm-working families belong to communities that are remote and
secluded from urban life, facing several problems and challenges that pose risk to their health, wellbeing, and compromise
their future.
Liberté Coffee has been consulting closely with families of the two communities that work our coffee farms, from this
dialogue, the following key challenges were identified:
01.
Lack of access to basic services like potable water and electricity
Chronic
malnutrition
03.
Child labor
and education
04.
Inadequate personal hygiene and home sanitation due to lack of basic tools
05.
Precarious living conditions (adobe houses, dirt floor, wood powered stoves, ground surface drainage)
The solutions to the problems are complex and involve an understanding of the cultural, environmental, and individual
influences; and require an approach with a non “first country” mind-set.
OUTREACH PROGRAM
To improve the quality of life of the farm workers and their families by improving their health and living conditions and facilitating access to education. This program is based on the values of a shared vision, reciprocity, subsidiarity, equity, and a common good.
OUTREACH PROGRAM
To contribute to the overall development of the families working the farms of the small and medium coffee producers that are part of Liberté Coffee’s value chain.
OUTREACH PROGRAM
To achieve our program’s purpose, we have determined three avenues to work, and devised objectives along each of these avenues:
1. The families working the farms. Developing formative process to improve their personal hygiene, home sanitation, health, and well-being situation; and reenforcing or creating the links to the health and education entities in their communities and the work area.
2. The coffee farm owners or producers. Raising awareness and sensitivity with the producers, with the aim to transform their idiosyncrasy of the working conditions normally provided, and to promote fair, safe and decent working conditions. Partnering with producers to improve workers’ salary and living conditions at the farms. Achieving this by paying fair price for the beans, provide technical support to reduce costs in the farms, and increase efficiencies and product quality.
3. The stakeholders, local organizations, and others. Reenforce or create a network of assistance and development that involves health and education state organizations, community leaders, local authorities, investors, donors, and non-profit organizations with the aim to contribute and promote the development of the families working the farms.
The program is being devised in collaboration with the families, ensuring that it will address to their needs. Currently it is proposed for a 10-year period, with actions to be deployed in the short term (1 year), in the medium term (2 to 5 years), and in the long term (5 to 10 years). It includes actions to be executed with and by the producers, and other actions to be executed by Liberté Coffee. To achieve this, the program will seek cooperation and financing strategies that include strategic alliances with local, state and international institutions; investments or donations of supplies and services, and direct funding from Liberté Coffee.
In a near future, as Liberté Coffee’s farming footprint expand, the Social Outreach Program will expand as well to other communities and individuals.
OUTREACH PROGRAM
Actions & Events
2021
– December – Introduced Social Outreach Program Proposal to our producers.
2022
– February – Visited workers in the farms and provided dental hygienic supplies
– March – Visited workers in the farms and performed a social activity for the families
– May – Performed a reconnaissance visit to the communities El Papal and Wiya
– May – Conducted a survey to all workers, and provided personal hygienic kits
– July – Presented the preliminary Social Outreach Program to our producers
– July – Visited each family in the communities El Papal and Wiya, and provided water filters.
Upcoming events will be announced in home page.
