Victoria’s living legacy
June 4, 2021
“My aspiration for my children is that they be happy, that they fight for others, and that they always support and serve their community. This is what I try to instill in them.”
Like you, Victoria Concepción Aguirre wants to leave her community better than she found it. Victoria is a sustainable farmer and respected coffee producer in Campanario Dos, a small mountain village in Honduras. She’s also a mother of eight, ranging from toddlers to young adults.
“My aspiration for my children is that they be happy, that they fight for others, and that they always support and serve their community. This is what I try to instill in them.”
Whether with her children, or with the young women around her, Victoria has spent her life leading by example.
Years ago, donors like you supported Victoria in learning how to grow coffee ecologically, amid her maize, beans and avocado trees. Victoria became so good at her craft that she eventually earned the top prize at an international coffee tasting competition. She’s one of the first women in Honduras to earn this distinction, making her an inspiration for women across her country.
“It is something very rewarding to see my compañeras feel motivated by me. It is a gift that I was able to discover late in my life. It motivates me to make my compañeras happy as well.”
Victoria Concepción Aguirre, farmer in Honduras
Just a little bit of support changed Victoria’s life dramatically, giving her greater financial stability and an opportunity to contribute.
To give back, Victoria began teaching young women farmers in her community how they, too, could grow high quality, ecological coffee. She also spent five years leading the local women’s agriculture and research group. Together, the women—who call each other compañeras—work to solve their farming challenges, breed better crops, and find better ways to bring their harvests to market.
Today, thanks to Victoria’s mentorship, a new generation of women in her region is growing sustainable coffee, earning better livelihoods for themselves and their families.
Victoria speaks of this legacy with emotion in her voice. “It is something very rewarding to see my compañeras feel motivated by me,” she says. “It is a gift that I was able to discover late in my life. It motivates me to make my compañeras happy as well.”
This is the power of legacy. One act of generosity prompting another, sowing the seeds of a better world, everywhere.