Across Mexico and Peru, women are leading efforts to strengthen their families’ livelihoods with support from CHOICE. From Mazahua women running an aquaponics system in Mexico to a women’s association building income through livestock in Peru, they are creating long-term solutions to poverty and shaping stronger futures.
Like the well-known proverb about “teaching a person to fish,” community members in Mesa de Chosto are building an aquaponics system where they raise fish and grow vegetables to support their families.
Aquaponics is a system that combines fish and plant production in one shared system. The fish provide nutrients for the plants, and the plants help keep the water clean.
This community in Mexico has been working with the local CHOICE team to learn how to run and maintain the system.
Six members of the Mazahua, an Indigenous community in Mesa de Chosto, operate this project. They have faced challenges, including language barriers and learning a new technology, but they have continued to manage and maintain the system.
Today, it produces both vegetables and fish that they sell at the local market. This provides a steady source of income and supports their ability to care for their families.
Strengthening Leadership in Peru
Carmen Cárcamo, a member of the Monte Castillo community in Peru, grew up without access to a formal education. Like many in the area, it has been hard for her to support her family. When Carmen heard about a nearby women’s organization that offered opportunities to learn new skills, she wanted to join.
Asociación Milagro de Jesús is a women’s association that partners with CHOICE. Women learn skills together to help build their income. It creates space for them to work together, build confidence, and support one another as they take on new roles in their communities.
Alongside 23 other women, Carmen joined the organization. She learned how to raise livestock and prepare meat to sell at local markets. This has created an additional source of income that helps her support her family.
Carmen has since taken on a leadership role within the group. She shared, “I am a leader for my family, and my husband respects me for how strong I have been. I feel very blessed to have met CHOICE and its team, and I now have a chance at a better future for my children.”