"I'm the only woman in the Cooperative. My grandfather used to be president of the Association but died in the Civil War which ended in 1992. That was a terrible period. We had to abandon our farm and survive by selling vegetables on the streets of the capital, San Salvador.

Now, things are changing. With Fairtrade certification we receive a minimum price for our coffee. To be certified, we had to organise our accounts and order processes, structure our members, and select a director. We also had to prove that the owners work in the farms and don’t own more than 10 hectares, that we don’t use child labour and have respected the environment, and don’t use chemical pesticides.

We formed the cooperative with help from the experts who also showed us how to make extra money by keeping chickens and growing fruit trees. I now have 100 chickens in my farm and, in a year’s time, I’ll be able to harvest oranges, lemons, avocados and mangoes.

Now, we are able to help our communities’ schools and health units. Already, we have given school equipment and rucksacks to 250 of the poorest students. Our next big objective is a coffee roaster, but that costs $15,000. When we have it, we will give five cents for every pound we process to the health clinic, the schools and to poorer families. My motto is to serve and to help. I am so happy that we are moving in the right direction."