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In the municipality Charapotó in Portoviejo, agriculture and ranching are the main economic activities. Vegetable crops like melon, watermelon, cucumber, and pepper are sold throughout different parts of the Ecuadorian Sierra and its rice is considered the best in Ecuador. This area was affected by the April 16th earthquake.
Natividad lives in this area and has a common-law marriage, from which she has two children. Her children are studying in school. Her husband is a businessman.
She is a very good wife since she takes out loans that her husband invests in agriculture. He is a rice farmer and has spent years doing so. His parents taught him the trade and he is grateful to them. The processes to grow rice take four months and consist of preparing the land and leveling it as much as possible with a rented tractor. Next is carrying out the task of "tangueo" (moving the earth with special wheels), flooding the land to a height of around 5 cm, planting the crop, irrigation work, and the application of herbicides and pesticides to control the growth of weeds. When the rice begins to seed, irrigation stops. The harvesting is done with a rented combine harvester and goes to the grain dryer. The grain, still covered in its shell, needs to be stripped in order to get the edible white rice. The maturity of the rice is tested by how hard the grain is to the tooth. It should offer enough resistance to prevent cutting it.
This loan will be used to buy fertilizers and to pay a day laborar to help. Natividad has been in the Crédito group for 4 years and is grateful to the group. She likes that the loans are fast, low interest, and without so many papers. Her dream is to make improvements to her home.
Translated from Spanish by Kiva volunteer Elizabeth Vather. View original language description.
