f o y r o t s the a z n a i f n o la c In the 1990s the community at ‘La Confianza’ produced palm oil for cooking oil, as a lubricant for machinery and as a basis for soap products. A wealthy landowner offered to buy their land but only 5% of the community agreed to sell. In order to export the oil to Mexico the community had to hire trucks but the landowner threatened to stop doing business with the trucking company. As a result, they lost their business and they started to experience money difficulties.
f o y r o t s the a z n a i f n o la c Farming experts advised them to grow oranges and limes but it takes four years for the fruits to grow and produce money. The community turned to the banks for a loan but they were given only six months to pay the money back. They had no source of income so this was impossible. The bank took their land and it was sold to the landowner for only 1 dollar a hectare. In 2009 the descendents of the original farmers came together to live as a community and reclaim the land that was unfairly taken.
y t i n u m m o C r e v Disco a z n a i f n o C a L n i Life
In the kitchen Communal cooking women get up at 4am and light the fire for tortillas. They prepare beans and if they have enough money they make coffee. Lunch consists of beans, tortillas and, sometimes, fish.
ork W n io t a t n a l P 4am and
t up at The workers ge ve to walk for an a h y a m y e th s a hour to work. cted from the a tr x e is il o lm a P tree fruit lm a p e th f o lp u p metres high. 0 1 re a s e e tr e th e fruit down The men get th n chop the while the wome e the trees. grass and prun
Living Cond
iti
ons Home is a ten t made from wood and plas tic while beds are made from palm leaves. At night the te nts get so warm that some of th e community describe them as ovens.
y t i n u m m o C r e v Disco a z n a i f n o C a L n i Life
Ac
ater w o t king cess
t of drin n u o m la A smal nto the i d e p i p ioned t water is a r d n nity a . They commu s e i l i m a the f clothes r i e among h t h nd was a river. e h d t e a t b u l l o earby p n e h t n i
Security
The entrance to La Confianza is guarded at all times. Eac h year there have been se veral attacks on the comm unity by the landowne r.
School Access to education is poor and on average children receive three years of primary school education.
a n i g n i v i l
y t i n u m m o c What does community mean to you?
Identify the different types of communities.
Are you part of one or many communities?
Create a poster (in small groups) to show what a community needs to live a prosperous and peaceful existence. Homework Activity: Write about the benefits of being part of a good community.
e n i l n o h c t a w Read or Read about or watch Naheli and Henry tell their stories! To access this material log on to www.trocaire.org/education and go to the resource section. Here you can download the clips for use on your interactive classroom whiteboard.
click here to watch footage
Due to security risks and tension in the area La ConFianza Naheli & Henry were unable to make the video. Instead, we have footage taken in La ConFianza in August 2010 which features Digna, the girl on the Trocaire box this year and her parents Carlos and Carmen. click here to watch footage