Mrs. Juana Zelaya is a 57-year-old mother and wife who lives in the community of Las Casitas, 89 kilometers from the capital of Honduras. It is a community with very difficult road access and belongs to what is called the Dry Corridor of southern Honduras.

Las Casitas is one of the areas with the highest incidence of poverty and water scarcity in Honduras. Local farmers have lost more than 80% of the crops they have planted due to climate change in recent years.

Mrs. Juana’s life changed when she and her family joined ADRA Honduras’s resilience and sustainable agriculture program.

She and her family learned to implement innovative agricultural practices to cope with the adverse and changing weather conditions that were affecting their agricultural success.

To mitigate the effects of the recurrent drought in the area, Mrs. Juana today has a reservoir made from a Ferro cement tank, built by ADRA. With this dual-purpose reservoir, she is now able to capture and maximize water from a small underground source and use it to irrigate her crops.

In addition to the drip irrigation system, the reservoir is also used for fish (tilapia). The new livelihood has allowed Mrs. Juana to strengthen her family’s income.

“When I see this plot of land planted,” Mrs. Juana says, “I thank God for the help of ADRA. All this land was empty and full of grass. We have really seen a change in our community. Now we have the means to support our families. We are all happy since we have our water reservoir!”