Lynn Hoyer, July 9th, 2010
Survival on $176 per Year-Cloverdale Rotary’s program on 7/8/10
Ana Maria Chali Calan in the isolated Guatemala Highlands village of Pancha y los Lomas gave a heart wrenching story of survival in her isolated community. As leader of the 40 women who make up “Association of Mayan Women who Farm and Weave” she outlined the group’s dedication to preserving Mayan cultures and language. Many of the women are widows, having lost their husbands in the 26 year Guatemala civil war, 1960 to 1996.
They support their families raising corn, beans, coffee, medicinal herbs, livestock and weaving. Then, in May, 2010, Tropical Storm Agatha dropped 30 inches of rain, destroying the crops and livestock, washing out bridges, blocking roads. Calan alone lost two pigs: the equivalent of her life savings. As a leader, she has taught other villages how to seek government help in creating better stoves and marketing their products.
Their goal is to educate the children. There’s no free government education. High school, for instance costs $600 per year. Tough to do on average annual income of $176. Contributions may be sent to Slow Food Sonoma County, P.O. Box 1494, Healdsburg, CA 95448.