August 26, 2010 – The Orange County Register – Brian M. Cuaron – USA
A San Clemente woman is back from her latest trip to a Guatemalan community she has helped unify through gardening.
Allison Haynes wants to help end world hunger. A global traveler by nature, she decided to go to Guatemala in February 2009. She had no plans but hoped she would find some way to serve her cause.
“It was about making a difference,” Haynes said.
Once there, she took Spanish lessons in the city of Antigua and came upon some American university students. They told her about a nearby village where there was a project to teach the women there how to garden vegetables.
Haynes e-mailed the project director, who welcomed her to join.
“It was pretty amazing. It was like one of those serendipity moments,” Haynes said.
The gardening project in the village called El Remate had been stalled about a year because of waning interest.
Haynes, a life coach by trade, said she reignited enthusiasm for the program and got it running again. She also brought $10 worth of seeds so the villagers had something to plant to grow small gardens for their families.
Haynes left the country after two months and returned in June 2009 for one month. Unsatisfied, she wanted to help build one big community garden, and she brought help.
Haynes persuaded her friend Norma Carter and seven other women to join her on her latest adventure. They left June 19 this year and stayed in Guatemala for 10 days, clearing land for the community garden and getting it started. Among the crops planted are cucumbers, tomatoes, cilantro, radishes, chilis and beans. Read story.
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