Gardening Training for Latter-day Saints Promotes Self-Reliance Projects in Colombia

Shared Article | From the Colombia Newsroom

The “Productive Garden Project” in the La Guajira region in Riohacha, Colombia, seeks to promote self-sufficiency among participants in the community.

The initiative, driven by leaders from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to promote self-reliance among members, was headed by Jean Carlos Guerrero, a self-reliance manager for the Church, who provided various key tools to ensure the venture’s success.

Hermen González, appointed by Branch President Oscar Reina, was in charge of training the participants, who agreed to contribute their time, space, resources and talents to start the project. During the day, the attendees acquired new knowledge about agriculture and obtained a new perspective on the importance of growing crops in their own homes. They were encouraged to take advantage of any available space, regardless of its size, to begin planting in their homes.

Weeks after the initial phase of the project, participants gathered in the courtyard of Edwin Benítez and Nancy Mendoza’s house to view the land, make commitments and raise the money needed to buy the seeds for the first nursery. During the meeting, González, who was visiting the site for the first time, commented: “This land will be a great opportunity for all of us to collaborate on this inspiring project.”

Days later, the members of the group began working on the land, plowing, clearing and preparing the soil under the guidance of González, who enthusiastically shared his experience. The excited and grateful participants valued the small space as a starting point for a project that seeks to benefit many families in the community.