Juan Cosigua

When Juan ran away from abusive parents at seven years old he never dreamed of being a husband, a father, community leader, or Field Director of Cultiva International. His life has been centered on working towards a better life for himself and his family. Juan never attended a day of school and spent his youth working adult jobs. He eventually found Paulina, who became his wife, and his life changed even more. Speaking three different Mayan languages, he taught himself Spanish and learned to read and write. They raised a daughter and two sons and now have three granddaughters. They all look up to him for his honesty, discipline, and integrity. And Juan is the most punctual person around.

Juan and his family have seen lean times over the years. One year, when their tomato harvest was lost to a fungus, they subsisted on corn tortillas and salt for weeks while trying to figure out how to recover. This is when the ideas and principles of Cultiva were born. Juan was the first Cultiva participant. Cultiva helped him start gardens, chickens, turkeys, pigs, worm composting, and more. He thrived. He soaked up this new knowledge and put food on the table. He had extra to sell and had seconds at dinner for the first time in his life.

Now he pays it forward everyday. He leads the Cultiva field team as they teach, train, and support thousands of Guatemalans as they improve their nutrition. Juan teaches from experience and with love. He loves to see his people thrive. To help them learn new things. To give them hope like the hope he has found.

Juan is crucial to our team and we are fortunate to have him. These communities are fortunate to have Juan. We are currently looking for a donor to sponsor his salary and other costs associated with his employment and work to advance our mission. Your gift will make it possible for Juan to change lives.  Please contact Cultiva International’s Donor Relations Manager Adriana Sánchez at adriana@cultivainternational.org or call 202-741-9717 for more information.