Guatemala women group -Alimentos Nutri-Naturales- Interview to producers
Ms. Octavilla
(Then-30-year-old)
Q : Where do you live?
A : It is about 6 km from this forest. I commute to work by bus.
Q : Please tell me your family configuration.
A : I have four children, two girls and two boys. There are seven of us including my husband and my father.
Q : What food do you like?
A : Tortilla(thin pan cake with corn), frijoles(potage of beans), fruits are.
Q : What do you like to do in your free time?
A : Baking bread, cooking meals and sewing child’s clothes with sewing machine are.
Q : From when have you worked this job?
A : Since three years before, harvesting ramón nuts and I came to bring it to processing center.
And I have related to this work from two years before.
Q : What changes did you have after starting to work?
A : I did only housekeeping before.
My husband does farming and cultivate beans or corns and sell them, but we can’t let our four children go to school with only that income.
I couldn’t go to scool only three years and I had helped housekeeping all the time, and I have helped my children or done housekeeping such washing or cooking for my family after getting married.
Knowing a job to harvest ramón nuts, I tried to pick it up and brought them to processing center. And hearing what to work in the processing center, my husband recommended to do for me and cheered me up.
Though I didn’t feel like doing with worrying about taking care of my children as my children was young, they came to go to school and they could have meals by themselves if I prepare waking up early. Thanks to them, I can come to work in relief.
Now my daughters of ten and eleven years old cook meals for us.
Almost of my income goes to food cost.
It also comes to lunch cost for our children in the day without school lunch.
I could have learned various things with doing this job and I could meet mates, too, I am satisfied as I can study.
Q : Are you happy with current life style?
A : I am happy. I have a little more something to want to get in future, though.
Q : What is it?
A : I want to live a nice house than now and let my children go to school with surety.
Ms. Marina
(Then-42-year-old, Housekeeper before)
Q : What is your family structure?
A : I have four children. My husband works in a hotel.
Q : What changes did you have after starting to work?
A : I am happy now.
I can help my family one year after starting to work. I am satisfied with learning various things.
Q : What days do you work in a week?
A : I work five or 6 days a week in the period of harvest.
Income is 40 quetzal per day.
Q : What food do you like?
A : I like anything.
Q : What things do you like to do?
A : Housekeeping and taking care of child are.
Q : How do you spend your income?
A : I pay for education cost of my son or food expense.