AgroAmerica

Archives 2011

Flota de caminones AgroAmérica

Agroamerica gets new fleet of high technology trucks to improve service

Agroamerica gets new fleet of high technology trucks to improve service

Guatemala, October 2011. Agroamerica recently acquired a fleet of 20 new trucks with the latest technological innovations to improve efficiency and customer service. The head of Agroamerica’s transportation division remarked that the new fleet of trucks is equipped with special features based on the terrain and driving conditions of the segment trucks use to deliver fruit to the port. The companies Kenilworth and Cummins designed the “Mayatrucks” for exclusive use of AgroAmerica. “This will allow us to improve efficiency and performance”, said the company official.

Agroamerica has an innovative training program for the drivers of the fleet. They receive theoretical and hands-on classes in top-of-the-line truck simulators, and after completing the courses, they are certified to drive any type of truck or load and drivers receive a diploma endorsed by the Ministry of Education in a technical discipline. “We believe that with this program we are contributing to road safety of our country”, said the head of the division.

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Capacitación en civismo AgroAmérica

Agroamérica trained its personnel in Civics in preparation for the General Elections held on September 11th of this year

Agroamerica, Civics, general elections 2011, Guatemala, vote, voting

Guatemala, September 2011. In order to foster a positive attitude and encourage a sense of civic duty in its employees to vote responsibly and conscientiously, Agroamérica together with the civic association, GuateÁmala, conducted a workshop whose theme was “Building a Culture of Citizenship”.

More than 1,300 employees from the farms and administrative offices participated in the workshop which initially trained the first group of participants who were then responsible for passing on their training to the next group and so on. The methodology utilized in the workshop included a series of reflections and dialogues about citizenship and community development designed to awaken the desire to become a part of the change needed in Guatemala.

The first part of the workshop focused on describing to the participants the Guatemala that we want to build. The second part was to teach them that, together, we form a part of the democratic government and are stewards of it. In the third part, the participants were encouraged to learn the responsibilities of each public office represented in the general elections and evaluate each candidate’s political platform in order to be able to vote intelligently. At the end of the workshop, the participants made a promise to pass this important knowledge on to the people within their spheres of influence.

Several of the participants of this workshop expressed that they now feel better informed and motivated to go and vote:
“The dynamics of the workshop changed our understanding of how to vote in the upcoming elections.”
“We women now feel very enthusiastic about voting; for some of us, it will be our first time. This workshop has motivated us to vote more conscientiously.”
“Many of us were not aware that during the voting process we would be given five different colored ballots. Now we clearly understand how to vote.”

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Jornada médica en Coatepeque AgroAmérica

Agroamerica organized a free medical care clinic in two towns of Coatepeque, Quetzaltenango

Agroamerica organized a free medical care clinic in two towns of Coatepeque, Quetzaltenango

Agroamérica, through their Corporate Social Responsibility Program, Better Families, offered a free medical clinic day in two villages of Coatepeque, Quetzaltenango, Los Encuentros and Las Ventanas.

The doctors and nurses who came from Xelajú, attended more than 200 people (adults and children), mostly relatives of Agroamerica workers. Medical staff treated respiratory diseases, diarrhea and skin infections and provided the medicine.

Agroamérica undertook the activity together with Oficina de la Mujer, the wife of the Mayor of Coatepeque and the Episcopal Diocese of San Marcos.

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Construcción de la borda AgroAmérica

Agroamérica reinforced the riverbanks and dredged the Mico River to protect the communities from flooding

Agroamérica reinforced the riverbanks and dredged the Mico River to protect the communities from flooding

Guatemala, September 2011. As part of their social responsibility program, Agroamérica collaborated with local communities to help build up the riverbanks and dredge the Mico River in the town of Huitzitzil in Tiquisate, Escuintla. This river was negatively affected by hurricane Agatha last year. The company invested $6,000.00 U.S. dollars in the project in the form of machinery, materials, fuel, and labor. The project was undertaken in conjunction with the municipality of Tiquisate.

This riverbank reinforcement benefitted a number of communities that are isolated by the flooding of the Mico River. With the arrival of the rainy season, the inhabitants of these communities live in fear of having their homes and possessions carried away by flood waters in this disaster prone area. Another problem caused by the flooding of the Mico River is the destruction of the main highway, which also cuts off their ability to communicate with the rest of the country.

The towns that benefitted from this project were Huitzitzil, San Francisco Madre Vieja, Las Trozas, El Semillero and Ticanlú in the Municipality of Tiquisate, Escuintla. The inhabitants of these towns and the Mayor of Tiquisate expressed their appreciation for Agroamérica?s help and support.

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becas como apoyo a jóvenes AgroAmérica

Agroamérica offers scholarships to El Zamorano

Agroamérica offers scholarships to El Zamorano

Guatemala, September 2011. Agroamérica donates each year (for 5 years) US$25,000 to the Guatemalan Agricultural Development Endowment Fund (FDDAG) which exists thanks to the generous donations made by agribusiness entrepreneurs from Guatemala. The purpose of this scholarship fund is to offer economic help to outstanding young men and women who exhibit leadership qualities and have already been accepted at the agricultural college El Zamorano but lack the financial resources to pay for their education.

This scholarship fund was created in Guatemala to allow academically bright young people from rural areas of the country to further their professional studies at El Zamorano so that they may return to their communities and enrich the lives of those less fortunate and help further the development of those communities.

On September 21st, an art auction will be held to raise money for this scholarship fund. The objective is to strengthen this fund’s endowment to increase the number of scholarships offered each year.

Gustavo Bolaños, President of the farming division of Agroamérica, commented, “Human resources are very important to us, and it is for this reason that we support the agricultural scholarship fund. Our goal is to provide opportunities for low-income Guatemalans to study at an internationally recognized institution such as El Zamorano. We have been employing graduates of this school for the past few years, and they have greatly contributed to our success and growth as a company.”

Testimonies:

José Arnoldo Buezo Alvarado: “I am infinitely grateful and the best way I have to show that gratitude is by demonstrating the abilities for which I was chosen to receive this prestigious scholarship.”

Yury Tecún: “I am very happy and grateful to Agroamérica for this scholarship. There is no doubt that it will radically change my life because a degree from El Zamorano will open countless doors for me to be successful professionally as well as personally, and I will be able to contribute economically to my family and to the development of my country.”

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apoyo al deporte nacional AgroAmérica

Agroamerica, in support of the national sport, donates bananas to the Guatemala City 21K Half Marathon.

Agroamerica, in support of the national sport, donates bananas to the Guatemala City 21K Half Marathon.

Guatemala, September 2011. Agroamerica collaborated with a donation of bananas to help support the more than 10,000 runners from all over the world who participated in the Third Annual Guatemala City 21K Half Marathon, organized by the municipality of Guatemala.

Agroamerica actively supports athletic events that contribute to a healthy lifestyle for Guatemalans and also promote the sport of running. “We at Agroamérica are concerned about the sound development of our country, and we know that playing a sport is a way to prevent juvenile delinquency and violence”, according to José Gálvez, vice-president of the commercial sector of Agroamerica.

For a number of years now, Agroamérica has collaborated with the organizers of the “Carrera del Azúcar” (the Sugar Race) in the department of Escuintla. Employees of the company and residents of the towns surrounding the company farms also participate in this race. “Agroamérica donates bananas because they are an excellent source of nutrients and electrolytes such as carbohydrates, potassium, and natural sugar which are all needed by athletes and are a source of quick energy”, added Nisrin Nassar, account manager at Agroamérica .

Bananas are a very good source of nutrition for athletes and those who want to lead a healthy lifestyle. They are purported to be a natural remedy for depression, can improve mood, and help avoid insomnia. Bananas are a good source of energy, lower hypertension, and prevent strokes, arthritis, and metabolic abnormalities. They also improve the growth and texture of hair and their consumption may stop hair loss. Bananas stimulate the production of hemoglobin, which prevents anemia; they reduce serum cholesterol levels and relieve premenstrual cramps and muscle cramps, among their other benefits.

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modelo de escuelas rurales AgroAmérica

Private school “Fernando Bolaños” is a model of rural schools

Private school “Fernando Bolaños” is a model of rural schools

Guatemala, August 2011. The private, co-educational Fernando Bolaños School was visited by 54 directors, teachers, and students from other rural schools located in the municipalities of La Reforma and El Quetzal in San Marcos, and Colomba in Quetzaltenango. The purpose of this visit was to observe the innovative teaching methodologies used in the Fernando Bolaños School, a model school in the rural community.

The Active Rural School Program of the organization, FUNCAFÉ, is in charge of the teaching methodologies used by the Fernando Bolaños School because they are recognized experts in the field of rural schools in Guatemala. The technical coordinator of the program, Jorge Ochoa, explained that the objective of this activity was to present the innovative teaching methodologies used by the teachers, measure the success of these methodologies in the classroom, and motivate the students by allowing them to share their newly acquired knowledge.

The participants thanked Agroamérica for organizing this activity and recognized the company for its social and educational work conducted through their corporate social responsibility programs and their dedication to the development of the children of their employees.

Rigoberto Tercero, the director of the “Carmen Amalia Farm School” in Colomba, Quetzaltenango said, ?We were pleasantly surprised by the school. I found it very interesting that the surrounding natural resources are utilized to teach the students. I was impressed by the academic progress made by this school and its programs. Our school has not yet reached a level of success equal to that achieved by the Fernando Bolaños School in the four years we have been operating.”

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taller de Responsabilidad Social empresarial AgroAmérica

Agroamerica invited community leaders to participate in a Corporate Social Responsibility workshop (CRS) sponsored by Centrarse

Agroamerica invited community leaders to participate in a Corporate Social Responsibility workshop (CRS) sponsored by Centrarse

Guatemala, August 2011. A group of community leaders from Escuintla were invited by Agroamérica to participate in the workshop: “Introducing CSR in Communities.” This workshop was part of the annual Responsible Businesses in Guatemala conference organized by the Centrarse Association.

The participating community leaders came from four rural areas in the Department of Escuintla: San Francisco Madre Vieja, Huitzizil, El Jabalí and San José Mogollón. During the training sessions, the attendees were introduced to the work done by the CSR arm of Agroamérica in addition to learning about the banana production process. They learned about corporate social responsibility programs in general, and above all, their communities” concerns and needs were communicated to the representatives from Agroamérica. The participants also took advantage of this opportunity to make contacts with people involved in other development projects during the conference.

Nelson Recinos, COCODE Secretary and Director of the Huitzitzil school said, “Agroamérica has always supported us with infrastructure projects and training that aids in the development of the entire community. Working together with Agroamérica and the community, we can make real progress.” Maria Teresa Orellana, member of COCODE and a community nurse expressed her appreciation to Agroamérica for the invitation to the workshop that included very relevant information for her community. She added that thanks to Agroamérica, which employs her husband and her son, her family was “able to eat.”
_____________________________________________

* CentraRSE is an organization founded in 2003 that includes over 100 member companies whose business interests cover more than 20 different sectors of the Guatemalan economy and provide employment to over 150,000 families. This group of socially responsible companies is one of the most influential entities in Guatemala as well as in the entire Central American region.

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Seguridad alimentaria y nutricional AgroAmérica

Agroamerica cares about the health and nutritional status of its workers, their families, and the surrounding communities.

Agroamerica cares about the health and nutritional status of its workers, their families, and the surrounding communities

Guatemala, August 2011. Agroamérica, concerned with the nutritional status and well-being of its employees, their families and the residents of the communities surrounding their farm operations, have taken on the responsiblity of helping the children suffering from malnutrition. The most recent case Agroamérica took charge of was the young daughter of an employee from Chiquirines. She was provided with a nutritional and medical workup in addition to the necessary medicines, food, and vitamins to ensure a complete recovery.

In addition, in order to combat malnutrition in the area and contribute to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals: “To reduce the number of people suffering from malnutrition and reduce the infant mortality rate”, Agroamérica has joined the Departmental Commission for Food Security and Nutrition -CODES- along with several governmental and non-governmental organizations and private social welfare groups, to design a strategic plan which deals with the problems of food safety, hygiene, and malnutrition in the Boca Costa area of Guatemala.

The goal of this commission is not to be philanthropic, but through the united efforts of various professionals and organizations, to reduce and ultimately elimination malnutrition through education and training programs.

There are a number of organizations that are active members and contributors to CODESAN in the Boca Costa area of Guatemala: Agroamérica, the Lion?s Club, the Rotary Club, a delegation from the Food and Nutrition Security Secretariat -SESAN- of Quetzaltenango, the Municipality of Coatepeque, presidents and mayors of eleven community COCODES, the National Literacy Organization ?CONALFA-, SOSEP, the Office of Women’s Health of Coatepeque, and the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Food.

This collaborative, departmental commission will now be responsible for monitoring the nutritional health and well-being of the population in the Boca Costa region of Guatemala in order to eliminate any cases of malnutrition and/or infant mortality.

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Agroamérica trains rural Guatemalan women in pastry arts

Agroamérica trains rural Guatemalan women in pastry arts

Guatemala, July 2011. Agroamérica trained forty women from the community of San Francisco Madre Vieja, Escuintla, in the skills of pastry production in order to teach them a new skill that could be used to start their own home-based businesses.

The group met for five consecutive days in the local public school to receive classes in pastry-making techniques using basic recipes provided by Agroamérica. They were also taught how to construct their own artisanal ovens. These classes were also aimed at raising the women?s self-esteem and to empower them to recognize the economic benefits of using these newly acquired skills to augment their families? incomes through a home-based business.

This program was undertaken in partnership with the Medfly program and the support of community leaders, mothers from the Best Families Program, and the director of the local public school. During the closing ceremony, the participants received diplomas and shared their ?creations? with those in attendance.

The president of the committee of ?monitor mothers? of the San Francisco Madre Vieja chapter of the Best Families Program, Sandra Herrera, thanked Agroamérica for the training course. She also said that she and her classmates were extremely motivated to continue their training and become businesswomen in the community.

Agroamérica organized and contributed to the funding of this training program in the pastry arts as part of its corporate responsibilty program and Better Families Program.

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