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Defining a hero
A hero is defined in the Oxford English Dictionary as:
“a person, typically a man, who is admired for their courage,
outstanding achievements, or noble qualities”
Why do you think it says heroes are ‘typically a man’?
What do you notice about your farming heroes? Do you think the definition
is fair? Do you think we need different words for men and women heroes?
The task
Use the definition. Read about your candidate. Use the information in their
stories to make a case as to why your candidate should be:
‘admired for their courage, outstanding achievements and noble qualities’
Notice there are 3 different things in this sentence. Use the support sheet if
you need help.
You can use your creativity to decide how to convey their heroic qualities,
but you could think about:
• Making a speech
• Writing an article
• Making a role play
In making your cases, you may also want to think about using
• Facts
• Emotions
• Empathy (putting people in their shoes)
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Recognising my farming hero
I think ______________ should be admired
for their courage, outstanding
achievements and noble qualities.
_________________ has shown courage by….
_________________ has made outstanding achievements such as…
__________________ has shown noble qualities like….
Overall, I think that ______________ is a hero because…
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Definitions to help you
Recognise
To admit, understand, or accept something is true
Admire
To have a high opinion of, or respect for something
Courage
Being able to do something that frightens you, or bravery, or strength
when you have pain or grief
Outstanding
Very good or exceptional
Achievements
When you do something successful, with effort, skill, or courage
Noble
Showing a strong, excellent mind or character, or using strong moral
principles
Qualities
Something personal about someone or something, a characteristic it
has, a feature that makes something/someone what it is
Taken from http://www.wordsmyth.net/
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Farming heroes: Dulce Marlen Conteras (Honduras)
© Oxfam (2003)
Dulce helped setup COMUCAP, a women’s
organisation in Honduras.
"I work in the general coordination of COMUCAP.
We began working in 1993 with a radio
programme which talked about women's rights.
Then we created a committee to defend women's
rights. We realised that we had to start getting
women involved in all the different processes; we
had to find a way for them to stop depending
solely on their husbands. At that time, we women
had to fight just to get enough food for our
children. We decided that we had to do something
to become independent, and not to have to rely on
others. Women were very submissive, there was
great discrimination, and we were very fearful.
"We began training people through a radio
programme called 'Siempre Vivas'. Of course this
© Annie Bungeroth / Oxfam (2003)
was not easy, we had many conflicts with men.
This has really been a very difficult process for us, but we have been able to overcome the
different obstacles. We have been able to change the attitudes of men, because men have
been able to see that our work has not been useless, that it has been productive.
“When the training programme was finished the different groups came and asked, “Okay,
what are we going to do now”' So we decided to start small chicken-rearing projects. We had
been organised for five years at this point, and we decided we wanted a name for ourselves,
so we became COMUCAP in 1998.
“We trained women in chicken rearing, but we realised it wasn't very profitable, so in 1999
decided to start training women in organic coffee production. We obtained the collective plot
of land that we use as a model, and as a school where we teach women new techniques.
“Oxfam came to us in 2000. They gave us the money to buy another plot of land. When
Oxfam saw what we had done with the plot they had funded, they gave us the money to buy
another 40.
“Last year we sold our coffee for the first time. This year will be our first real harvest. We will
give the coffee to the Raos cooperative which works with a German Fair Trade organisation.
The coffee is roasted in Germany, When we make a profit we'll divide it equally among the
women."
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Farming heroes: Jose da Silva (Brazil)
© Gilvan Barreto/Oxfam (2004)
Jose Xavier Bezerra da Silva is
part of the indigenous Xucurus
community which, after a 10 year
struggle, now owns their ancestral
land.
“When we first came here, we
made a commitment to stick to
environmental guidelines and not
use pesticides. So I decided to
experiment with various natural
© Gilvan Barreto/Oxfam (2004)
ingredients to see what would and
wouldn't work. I can't read or write so all my study was based on what
I had at my fingertips. Nature provided me with my answers. I mix
together things such as bark and seeds from different trees, nettles,
and even cow urine. It has taken me nearly two years to find a formula
that is non-toxic and works. I can pass the formula to others, but it's
not just about mixing ingredients, it's knowing how, how much, and
when to use the mixes.
“Two of my children (one son, and one daughter) live in the
community and help out in the fields. My daughter also teaches in the
community. I would prefer if all my children lived in the village, but
when a woman marries someone outside the community they move to
their new husband's village.
“I am happy here on my own land, with my own community. This is my
life now, my culture. I am not rich, but I have enough to eat. I can
make some money from selling what I plant. With any profit I buy what
I can't grow; clothes, sugar, shoes, some meat. Sometimes it is hard
to get a good price for our produce; it depends on the weather. The
important thing is that I have my own land, I am working for myself
and I am in control of my own future.”
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Farming heroes: Gilvania Maria da Silva (Brazil)
© Gilvan Barreto/Oxfam (2004)
Gilvania Maria da Silva is part of
the traditional Quilombolas
community, which is struggling to
reclaim land taken by wealthier
farmers. She is a local member of
parliament, the first ever from her
community to be elected.
“The main problem we have faced
is being pushed off our land. It is
the most important issue we have
had to tackle because it affects
© Gilvan Barreto/Oxfam (2004)
how we live: what we can plant,
how much food we can grow, how we earn a living - everything.
“In 1995, our community association (AQCC) joined forces with the National
Association of Quilombolas so that we would be a stronger and bigger voice
when we took our demands to the government. After the election in October
2002 we were able to capitalise on all the work we had done to build a case. We
lobbied the new government to recognise our legal entitlement to our land and
we were successful. But it's not over yet. We need support to evict the farmers
that have been trespassing on our land and that will be another struggle.
“The previous government did agree that the farmers should leave but they
didn't do much about it, and weren't prepared to pay the farmers compensation which is their legal right. The new decree acknowledges that the farmers are
due compensation and the government is now making an inventory of buildings
and equipment so they calculate the amount of compensation due., which
should help us get our land back faster.
“We have come so far, and that's down to persistence and all the communities
pulling together to speak as one voice. Sometimes, people ask us if all the effort
and heartache is worth the effort. But for us, this land is priceless. It can be
productive, once we reclaim the more fertile areas. It is also a symbol of our
culture and part of our history - who we are. Other people just want land to plant
crops on. We want our land. This is where our ancestors settled and worked.”
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Farming heroes: Angelina Mungia (Honduras)
© Gilvan Barreto/Oxfam (2007)
Angelina has been trained in vegetable
gardening by a community organisation
called OCDIH.
“Before OCDIH life was pretty tight. We
lived in extreme poverty and sometimes all
we could eat was corn. With the vegetable
gardens we have much better nutrition.
“There are 7 of us living here, my husband
and 5 of my 9 children. Four have left to find
work. It took us 30 days to build this house.
Once the roof is on, it’s the women and
children who build the walls using mud and
leaves. It took us 8 days.
“I sell cheese and butter to stores and
markets in Santa Barbara and Ocotepeque.
I can’t sell them locally because other
© Gilvan Barreto/Oxfam (2007)
women sell here. It’s a two-day journey by
bus. I start work at 7 in the morning preparing half pound bags of cream. Then I
weigh the cheese and cut it into pieces. I’m ready to go by 9.30. I have to leave
my family alone for a night. My husband looks after things while I’m away. He
cooks well.
“My worst moment was 6 years ago when my mother was very sick. The same
year I was mugged twice. I had just finished selling in Santa Barbara and a man
put a machete to my throat and took all of my money. That was the worst
moment of my life. I still travel to Santa Barbara to sell. I have to. My motivation
is my children. I work so that they don’t have to be like me. My greatest hope is
to have all of my children in schools. Then I will be able to rest because what
really drives me is their future and their happiness.”
“OCDIH taught me everything. An agricultural technician came here 4 days a
month for 4 months. Now I teach our community. I teach here in my garden and
when the kids go back to school in February I will teach them too.”
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Farming heroes: Miguel Pineda (Honduras)
© Gilvan Barreto/Oxfam (2007)
Miguel has been trained in vegetable
gardening by a community organisation
called OCDIH.
“I work in the fields with my 5 sons. We
wake up at 5am to wash and have
breakfast then we sharpen our machetes,
grab our food bag and plough, and head
off to the fields. We work together in the
fields every day. We have a schedule,
starting at 6am and working till 4pm with a
one-hour rest for lunch. The corn harvest
is in March. We will keep one part of the
harvest and sell the rest. You need to
have an income. There are always people
who need corn. We can sell a load (100
pounds) for 200 lempira (£4.50). It takes
three months to harvest a load.”
© Gilvan Barreto/Oxfam (2007)
“I have 2 cows and a calf. The cows
provide milk and cheese for my family. Both cows are pregnant; they will give
birth next month. We hope the calves will be female so we can get more milk.
My sons and I milk the cows in the morning. We change fields every two weeks
to give the cows fresh grass.
“Our lives are difficult. Poverty is the biggest problem in Honduras. To feed our
families we need to have more food. I have 10 children. Before we just hoped
things would improve. Now we are beginning to see a change.
“OCDIH have helped us to improve our standard of life. We have our vegetable
gardens. The production is beginning. Before OCDIH came, we used to let some
vegetables go to waste because we didn’t know what to do with them and we
didn’t know how to look after them. It has been a great learning. Now we have
carrots, beetroot, cabbage, onions, lettuce, cucumber and garlic. Our gardens
give us vitamins. They’re good for me because I’m old, and they’re good for the
young kids.”
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Farming heroes: Dogna Hernandez (Honduras)
© Gilvan Barreto/Oxfam (2007)
Dogna is an agricultural technician, who trains
other women as part of COMUCAP, a group
supporting women’s rights.
“My first husband had lots of problems with alcohol
and left me to raise two sons by myself. During this
time, I worked in the coffee fields cutting coffee.
Any work that I could find I would take just to
survive. Then I didn’t make any money, now I earn
on average 1,500 to 2,000 lempira (£40 - £52) a
month.”
“I attended the field school for 6 months where I
learnt how to farm. Now I’m a teacher. I teach at
the field school once a week. I teach 23 other
female members with their children and husbands.
We teach them how to grow potatoes. This basic
knowledge can then be applied to other crops like
corn and beans. Each Friday we teach a different
topic, and then we go to the field for practice.”
© Gilvan Barreto/Oxfam (2007)
“We don’t have much land but people are learning
how to make the most of what they have. I teach them about how to care for the soil. An
engineer from El Salvador came to show us how to control pests in the soil to avoid fungal
diseases that destroy crops. What the women learn here helps them to grow good food in
their family gardens at home. It improves the nutrition of their families. Some even sell what
they are producing.
“I also work in the collective fields of Carocol. This is the coffee season so I get up at 3am to
prepare breakfast and lunch for my husband and my 6 children. Then I clean the house. At
6am I go to the coffee farm. We all work in the coffee fields during harvest season. The
schools are on holiday so that the children can work too. They go to cut coffee to earn money
to buy their own books, backpacks and uniforms ready for school. “Most of us had no idea
how to read and write but through my efforts all my children have been educated. They have
all gone through 6th grade. Without the COMUCAP they would all work the fields.
“I hope to have a small farm and work on it in my old age. I would be very happy if my
children are able to earn enough money to look after themselves.”
COMUCAP started working with Oxfam in 2000. Seven years later, these entrepreneurial
farmer women are exporting fair trade, organic, coffee to international markets.
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Farming heroes: Francesca (Honduras)
© Gilvan Barreto/Oxfam (2007)
Francesca, 18, is screwing on bottle
tops at the Aloe Vera (a plant)
processing factory. This is run by
COMUCAP, a group supporting
women’s rights in Honduras. After only
a year they are selling the Aloe
products internationally, including an
online company in Switzerland.
“One year and one month ago my
mother died. She was a member of
COMUCAP. My mother didn’t know
how to read or write so she would take
me with her to all the meetings and
training sessions to make notes. I
learnt a lot from these meetings they
helped me grow as a person. We
talked about our worth as women, that
we should not be embarrassed or
ashamed of what we are. And we
© Gilvan Barreto/Oxfam (2007)
would dance. When my mother died I
took her place. All the women knew me, and they accepted me. Lots of women I
know are very shy, they are afraid of men. I’m not shy. I can look a man in the
face without being afraid. I’m not embarrassed of being myself and I know my
mother would be proud of that.”
“I am the oldest still at home so I have to feed five siblings and look after my
father. My father wakes me up at 4am so that I can prepare meals for everyone
before I go to work. I earn enough here to look after everyone and buy myself
clothes and shoes.”
“I have also learnt a lot from other women here. What I learn about hygiene here
I can apply at home. My ambition is to remain with the group, to remain united. I
want to learn more about my work because you don’t know what the future
holds.”
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Farming heroes: Lekea Borena (Ethiopia)
© Aubrey Wade/Oxfam (2010)
Lekea Borena is a farmer in Ethiopia struggling to
cope with changes in the weather. She is going to a
local community hearing with thousands of others to
discuss the problems.
“Today things are very different. Harvesting now is
incomparable to how it was before. The rains are
short and unpredictable – it means less quantity and
less quality of crops.
“My husband and I both grew up as farmers. But with
all the problems we have had to look at other ways
of making extra money. My husband went off to look
for work. I started brewing homemade alcohol to sell
in other villages. But the cost of the ingredients – like
corn and hops – has gone up, as has the price of
transport.
© Aubrey Wade/ Oxfam/Oxfam (2010)
“We’ve started growing grass peas instead of normal
peas – they need much less water and are more
resistant to drought. We are also experimenting with
new varieties of seeds, which are short maturing so
take less time to grow.
“I’ve heard on the local radio about these big global meetings on climate but I don’t know the
details. If I could speak to the foreign countries and governments at those meetings I would
tell them that the big issues to focus on are ensuring forestation and access to water. We
need to save our natural resources for the next generation.
“At the hearing I am going to tell the politicians about the challenges we face, the lack of
water, the poor harvests, the loss of trees. I am lucky to have this opportunity to talk to them
and I want to tell them that farmers here can thrive if we have support.
“I want to know what they will do to help us. I have lots of friends from all over coming to the
hearing – they all have the same problems and they will all say similar things to me.
“Despite the problems, I feel good about the future for farmers. We have support from the
government and we have new technology to make farming better. But we need water. Even
so, I don’t want my children to be farmers - I want them to be the leaders of the country.
Maybe even the next Prime Minister! Why not?”
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Farming heroes: Wubalem Shiferaw (Ethiopia)
© Tom Pietrasik/Oxfam (2010)
Wubalem Shiferaw is a member of the
Mecha village cooperative for women
beekeepers. This has allowed them to invest
in modern beehives.
"I live in Mecha with my husband and my
daughter Rekebki. We have no land to farm
so it has always very hard for us to make
money. For years we have been eating just
one small meal a day. But the bee hives
have changed that. Now we are able to
afford clothing.
“As the bee hives are within my compound I
tend to them almost every day and night. I
am getting used to this modern bee hiving
technique; it has really helped us to provide
© Tom Pietrasik/Oxfam (2010)
the market with good quality honey. We’ve
learnt how to harvest the honey dressing up properly in our protective clothes.
“The old-style bee hives, up in the trees, did not help the bees to make more
honey, and as a result we didn’t get much honey from each hive. But with the
modern technique the bee is helped to make more honey and at the same time
it is also producing wax. We used to get only 5 to 8 kilos a year per bee hive but
using the modern technique we get 10 to 15 kilos a year.
“With the extra money I got I’m planning to buy some more bee hives to multiply
the amount of honey and wax I can sell. Hopefully that will improve my income
in return."
“The establishment of the honey cooperative has made it easier to sell our
honey in the market, and it also helps us to save money. With our saving
gradually fattening we are contemplating how we should best spend it. We are
thinking about other businesses that we could set up close to our hives."
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Finding more heroes
Your heroes have some amazing qualities. They have all worked very
hard, showing drive, courage, knowledge and skills. They all rely on
growing food, and have overcome huge challenges.
Each of your heroes has been given the opportunity to show their
qualities through some sort of support. This support is allowing them
to overcome their challenges themselves.
There are millions of other heroes working in lots of countries
across the world.
However many of them are not being supported to overcome their
challenges.
To understand how they can be supported to do this as well, it will
help to understand what support your heroes received.
Task
Look at the Finding More Heroes cards. Each one shows the support
one of the heroes received.
Match up your hero to the correct support card.
Read about the support your hero received.
• What sort of support have your been given?
• Who has done this? Think about if it involved:
o Other people in their community
o The government
o A business
o A charity (local or international)
• Could this sort of support be given to other people too?
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COMUCAP community organisation
Finding more
heroes
Who are they?
COMUCAP* is a group set up to protect the rights of women in La Paz,
Honduras. They have started a lot of projects to help women who have often
been ignored and discriminated against.
How have they helped local food heroes?
• They provide training for women in how to make their farming better, so
they can grow more food and earn more money
• This helps women to become more independent and confident, and
gives chances for women to become promoters for the group
• With help from organisations like Oxfam, they give land and materials
• COMUCAP has set up businesses for women to sell what they can grow
to larger companies for more money, like organic coffee and aloe vera
*Coordinadora de Mujeres de la Paz
COMUCAP community organisation
Finding more
heroes
Who are they?
COMUCAP* is a group set up to protect the rights of women in La Paz,
Honduras. They have started a lot of projects to help women who have often
been ignored and discriminated against.
How have they helped local food heroes?
• They provide training for women in how to make their farming better, so
they can grow more food and earn more money
• This helps women to become more independent and confident, and
gives chances for women to become promoters for the group
• With help from organisations like Oxfam, they give land and materials
• COMUCAP has set up businesses for women to sell what they can grow
to larger companies for more money, like organic coffee and aloe vera
*Coordinadora de Mujeres de la Paz
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OCDIH community organisation
Finding more
heroes
Who are they?
OCDIH is a local Christian organisation in Honduras. They work to help poor
communities to develop and improve their lives.
How have they helped local food heroes?
• Working with organisations like Oxfam, OCDIH have helped local people
create small vegetable gardens
• They have trained some local people how to grow better vegetables they
can sell
• These local people train others in how to do this
• They have helped get small loans of money for local people
• They have helped set up local makets where local people can sell their
vegetables to get money
*Organismo Cristiano de Desarrollo Integral de Honduras
OCDIH community organisation
Finding more
heroes
Who are they?
OCDIH is a local Christian organisation in Honduras. They work to help poor
communities to develop and improve their lives.
How have they helped local food heroes?
• Working with organisations like Oxfam, OCDIH have helped local people
create small vegetable gardens
• They have trained some local people how to grow better vegetables they
can sell
• These local people train others in how to do this
• They have helped get small loans of money for local people
• They have helped set up local makets where local people can sell their
vegetables to get money
*Organismo Cristiano de Desarrollo Integral de Honduras
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Aloe vera factory
Finding more
heroes
What is this?
Aloe vera is a plant that contains a gel that can be used for skin products.
COMUCAP* (a womens group in Honduras) has set up a factory to process
aloe vera grown by local women which they can then sell.
How have they helped local food heroes?
• The factory has given local women jobs, income and confidence
• By processing the aloe vera they get more money than selling the raw
alow vera
• COMUCAP has contacted businesses in Europe to sell the products to
them, and they make bigger orders and pay more money
• Having bigger orders helps motivate the women and makes them
improve their processing skills
*Coordinadora de Mujeres de la Paz
APOINME community organisation
Finding more
heroes
Who are they?
APOINME* is a group for indigenous communities in North-East Brazil,
descended from people living here before the Porteuguse took power 400
years ago. They have been ignored in the past and had their land taken away.
How have they helped local food heroes?
• APOINME has campaigned to the Brazilian government for indigenous
people to have the same rights as everyone else
• The Brzailian government has listened to them and passed a law saying
meaning they can claim back their land
• This has let them claim back 80% of the land they used to own
• With help from organisations like Oxfam, they have helped people to
remember old ways of life and help each other use their new land
*Articulao dos Povos Indigenas do Nordeste Minas Gerais e Espirito Santo
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AQCC community organisation
Finding more
heroes
Who are they?
The AQCC* is a group for local quilombo people. These are communities
descending from black slaves who in the past were ignored (discriminated
against) in Brazil, and who had their land taken away.
How have they helped local food heroes?
• The AQQC has campaigned the Brazillian government for quilombo
people to have equal legal rights as everyone else
• They have joined a national quilombo organisation fighting for their rights
• The Brazillian government has listened to them and has passed laws
meaning they can claim back their land
• This has meant they have started to claim back land they used to own
• Organisations like Oxfam have helped organise training for them and
helped them setup a national quilombo magazine
* Association of Quilombolas in Concei’o das Crioulas
Climate change hearing
Finding more
heroes
What is this?
In 2010 hearings were held in Ethiopia to allow local people to tell the
Ethiopian government what they thought about climate change and what
should be done.
How has this helped local food heroes?
• This has given local people a chance to have their say in public
• The Ethiopian government has been able to listen to them, and has
setup a national Climate Change Forum to help
• This is part of an international campaign with hearings in lots of countries
all linked together
• Organisations like Oxfam are taking what people say in them to
international leaders discussing climate change
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Zembaba honey cooperative
Finding more
heroes
Who are they?
Zembaba is an Ethiopian honey co-operative, which means a business setup
and owned by local people, with the profit going back to them.
How have they helped local food heroes?
• They have provided training to local people in how to use newer
beehives
• They have encouraged more women to become beekeepers
• They have made a deal to sell local people’s honey at a good price to a
bigger Ethiopian company called Ambrosia PLC
• Ambrosia PLC are able to sell honey to European supermarkets, so can
afford to give Zembaba a better price
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What sort of support
helps farming heroes?
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Government
Local community
Charity
(local/international)
Business
(local/international)
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If you were in charge…
You have seen the ways in which your heroes were supported to
show their great qualities. Lots of this was through community groups
helping each other to overcome their challenges together. Lots of
these were to do with growing food.
You are going to think about how other heroes could be supported.
Imagine you
A. Worked for the government in a heroes country
Or
B. Worked for a large international charity
Or
C. Worked for an international food business (e.g. selling
coffee)
You will have money and expertise you could use.
1. What sort of things could you do to help heroes overcome their
challenges?
2. Do you think supporting heroes is a good use of your
organisations time and money? Explain your answer.
Discuss this in your group and present back to the class.
Thinking point…
How can a government, business or charity help the community
groups that support many heroes?
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If you were in charge… help sheet
Here are some possible things you could think about doing
Talk to small
farmers to find
out what they
need
Help design
training for small
farmers
Pass laws to
make sure
everyone has the
same rights
Set up meetings
to let small
farmers talk to
each other
Help small
farmers get an
income by buying
their food
Help train small
farmers in how to
process food to
get more money
Give loans to
community
groups
Set up links for
small farmers to
sell products in
Europe
Give community
groups money to
grow and
organise
Make sure small
farmers own their
own land
(through laws)
Help community
groups talk to the
government
Give
cooperatives
money to buy
processing
equipment
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Making the case for small farmers
Imagine you were going to a meeting of the FAO (Farming and
Agriculture Organisation), an international organisation which
represents farming globally.
The meeting is to discuss where governments should spend their
money. They are deciding whether to spend it on small farmers or not.
You have seen the 4 arguments against small farmers.
You need to write an argument to support spending money on small
farmers.
Think about what you would say to prove the 4 arguments wrong.
You have either 500 words, or 2 minutes of speaking to make this
case. You could present your case to the class, or make a wall
display.
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this document for educational purposes only.
Page 24