For Cruz Ramírez Ordóñez, every decision she makes drives her closer to the goal of creating a better future for her family.
As a single mother and the primary provider for her household, Cruz supports two of her children and her elderly mother. Like many women in rural Guatemala, she balances caregiving responsibilities with the daily challenge of earning enough income to meet her family’s needs, yet those who know her best say that one quality stands out above all others. Her determination.
That determination led Cruz to join Global Communities’ Women Empowered (WE) program, where women come together to save, build financial resilience, and strengthen their economic opportunities.
Today, her journey offers a powerful example of how women are transforming local food systems, strengthening household resilience, and building climate-smart businesses with support from the Rick Steves Europe Climate Smart Commitment project in Guatemala’s Western Highlands.
BETTER WAY TO WORK
In Cruz’s community, nearly every family raises backyard poultry, but nobody locally provides veterinary or care services for the animals.
Recognizing a need, Cruz and two neighbors launched a poultry vaccination business. The service quickly proved valuable, but the work itself was physically demanding. For two years, they vaccinated chickens using traditional disposable syringes, spending long hours completing each round of vaccinations while generating significant plastic waste.
Through the Rick Steves project, Global Communities helped the group adopt a continuous-feed syringe that allows vaccinators to inoculate birds more quickly and with less waste. The new equipment reduced physical strain on the women’s bodies, improved efficiency, lowered plastic waste, and allowed them to vaccinate up to 1,200 birds safely and effectively over the first two months in use. This shift involved a small investment in technology, but marked a significant improvement for the women owners’ productivity, income, and well-being.
“Before, when we vaccinated the poultry with disposable needles, it took us a long time and we ended up exhausted, with sore hands. Now, with the continuous-feed syringe, the work is faster and less strenuous. We learned a better way to do things, and that helps us a lot.”
Cruz Ramírez Ordóñez
Growing more with less
The same principle applies to Cruz’s family farm. Together with her mother, she grows vegetables to support her household and generate additional income by selling her excess produce. In the past, proper irrigation required hours of labor, limiting the time she could devote to other activities.
Through training on climate-smart agricultural practices and the installation of a drip irrigation system, Cruz now uses water more efficiently and helps her farm become more resilient in the face of changing weather conditions.
With additional support from the project, Cruz developed a business plan, expanded her laying hen operation, and connected to new markets for her products. Over a seven-month period, she produced and sold 8,000 eggs and 100 bunches of vegetables to customers in her community and neighboring areas. The income generated from egg and produces sales puts food on the table, supports her children’s education, and establishes a stronger financial foundation for the future for her family.
She is currently working to install a biodigester that breaks down organic waste, which can then be used for fuel or fertilizer. For example, chicken manure from her flock is used to produce organic fertilizer for her vegetable crops, while larvae raised from organic materials provide a protein-rich feed source for her chickens.
These circular farming practices reduce costs, improve sustainability, and demonstrate how climate-smart agriculture can help small-scale farmers become more productive while reducing environmental impact.
Building the Future, One Opportunity at a Time
While the impact of Cruz’s work can be measured through increased production and income, its influence extends far beyond her farm. She shares what she learns with neighboring women, encourages others to pursue new opportunities, and demonstrates what is possible when communities have access to the right tools, training, and support.
“Doña Cruz is an engaged and hardworking woman. She is always eager to learn and share with other women in the community. Her efforts demonstrate that when there is interest and support, significant changes can be achieved for families and the community.” -Floridalma Ortíz, savings group member
Cruz’s success is part of a much larger effort taking shape across rural Guatemala. Through the Rick Steves Europe Climate Smart Commitment project, Global Communities has already reached 1,789 farmers and family members, helping women and local producers build climate resilience, strengthen food security, and connect to new economic opportunities.
Across Guatemala, stories like Cruz’s demonstrate how small innovations, paired with determination and opportunity, can create lasting change for families and communities alike.