Always learning, sharing knowledge

In Honduras, and especially in rural La Unión, the agriculture industry sustains the population with crops for personal consumption and to sell for income. Nearly everyone in La Unión and the surrounding villages (aldeas) is connected in some way to the main crops here: coffee, corn and beans. Unfortunately, agriculture is not always a sure source of income for a family: crop yields can be hurt by bad weather and disease. While these problems cannot be prevented completely, their effects can be mitigated through agricultural knowledge and training on various methods of field management. This training not only helps prevent diseases, but also helps farmers improve their harvests and better manage the income they receive from their fields.

Gilberto works with farmers to
help them improve their harvests.

This is where Gilberto comes in. Gilberto Barrientos Hernández has been a field manager at Unión MicroFinanza for the past 5 years, guiding farmers in improving their crop quality and harvest, and leading agricultural training programs such as the Coffee Farmer School (read more about Coffee Farmer School in our newsletter). As a La Unión native who has been working in agriculture since early childhood, Gilberto has gained invaluable knowledge and build strong relationships in the communities. He also manages his own farm and home garden in La Unión with the help of his wife and three children. Equipped with his experiences and knowledge, Gilberto travels to individual farms in the region every week to demonstrate techniques for improving the harvest.

Besides working with farmers in official training sessions, Gilberto is continually questioning, learning and sharing his knowledge with others. UMF staff members look to Gilberto as the resident expert on all things plant related. He not only can identify many of the plants he encounters, he can also tell of their properties and uses. If he isn’t familiar with a certain plant, he tucks a sample into his backpack to bring home and inquire about it. Gilberto is an essential part of UMF not only for his knowledge, but also for the relationships and trust he has formed in the communities.

Gilberto’s three children attend the bilingual school in La Unión, and they enjoy translating for visiting groups. They dream about receiving higher education and starting their careers, and Gilberto hopes the same for them as he works to help them fulfill these dreams.

We value Gilberto and his work, and want to support him with a sustainable income so he can provide for his family’s daily necessities, for his children to receive a quality education, for improving his home, and for health care. Your donations to UMF help support farmer training programs, as well as the employees like Gilberto who lead them. Find out more on our website about becoming a donor. Thank you for your partnership with Unión MicroFinanza and the people of Honduras!