World Food Programme Fighting Hunger Worldwide

A man and a woman from the El Carmen community fill bags with sand to build defensive barriers. They shall prevent floods from destroying their subsistence crops when Rio Grande grows as a consequence of the rains in San Julian, in the department of Santa Cruz.

Men of the El Carmen community pile sand sacks in the banks of Rio Grande to build the defensive barriers. Their work and effort will be rewarded with coupons that they will exchange for food in grocery stores in the intermediate cities of San Julian and Montero, in the Santa Cruz department.

By piling one sack of sand over another, the defensive barrier that prevents flooding in San Julian is built.

A woman from the El Carmen community mentions that 15 women worked in the orchard seen behind. They grow lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, squash, peas, beans and corn. For their work, these women received coupons they can exchange for food. With this food, plus what they grow in the orchards, they can provide their children a balanced diet. They spend the savings they get from both of these activities in their children’s education.

In the El Carmen community, women like her have built communal and family orchards to grow vegetables and balance their families’ diet. In between the corn crops they have also grown beans.