In the Field

When Rajdai’s husband died from cancer, it plunged her small family into crisis. She had moved with him and their three infant children to the Parika Back region in Guyana more than 15 years ago to start a farm and build a new life, but now their dream was unraveling.

At the time they had access to 17 acres of land, and while it was a lot of hard work, Rajdai and her husband were able to establish a promising farming business. The profits meant they had enough money to save, ensure their children could attend school and provide a comfortable living for the family.

Their comfortable future was shattered eight years ago when Rajdai’s husband was diagnosed with cancer. They began to struggle because their family was dependent on his being able to work the land which he could no longer do. They used their savings on his medical expenses, and were forced to the children out of school when they couldn’t afford to send them.

When CHF first visited Rajdai’s community, her husband had passed two years before, and the family was scraping by on two acres, having had to abandon the farm. The land was providing them with vegetables to eat and the little they had left over they would sell to buy other essentials. They were getting by, but it was clear that they needed help.

CHF gave Rajdai agricultural tools and other important farming supplies along with specialized training which helped her to expand her farm. She is back up to farming 14 acres, and has a steady stream of income that is helping her family to thrive.

“CHF through the Small Farmers Livelihood Project has assisted my family to expand our farm and make it more profitable,” said Rajdai. “Thanks to this project our lives are now getting better.”

You can see the impact in the family’s day-to-day life. Rajdai has recently fixed up their home with a fresh coat of paint and some new furniture. The house looked great for a thanksgiving service they held to celebrate their changing fortunes.