Salcoatitán, Sonsonate, El Salvador – In the middle of the mountains of western El Salvador, where the air is purer than in the capital and the days are measured between sunrise and sunset, Marta Alicia Brito de Cortéz and her husband Fausto Gabriel Cortéz Espinoza began a new chapter in their lives. After many years of urban life in the capital San Salvador and exhausting working days, the two decided to focus on the countryside, and thus bet on a simpler, self-sustainable life.
It was not a sudden decision. While Marta worked as a teacher, Fausto left at dawn for San Salvador and returned late at night. The extremely long commutes and the daily routine left them little time to be together or enjoy the environment in which they lived. Their farm, more than a living space, was a wasted landscape. But one day an invitation came that would change all this.
Photos by Robert Gartner, h3 advisor
The contrast between their previous life and their current one is evident. "Before, we would get up and make our way to work. We hardly saw each other," Fausto explains. "Now we wake up together, make breakfast, plan the day and work side by side on the farm."
"I wanted to invest that time in something meaningful"
Through a close relative, they learned about the work of FUNDESYRAM, a Salvadoran organization that, in alliance with horizont3000 and with funding from DKA and the Austrian Development Agency, develops comprehensive projects in rural areas, promoting entrepreneurship, sustainability and improving the quality of life.
It was Marta who took the first step 3 years ago, enrolling in a diploma course in agroecology and entrepreneurship with a gender approach. More than just an “academic year”, it was the beginning of a transformative process. Marta learned about technical tools but also became excited about the idea of becoming part of a group of women entrepreneurs. "I was already going to leave my job and I wanted to invest that time in something meaningful, in our land," she says.
"It has changed our lives completely. We learned everything from how to develop a business plan to how to use social networks to publicize our products. But they have also taught us about gender equality, about masculinities, about how to better organize ourselves not only as a couple but also as a community," she says.
As Marta became more involved, Fausto also joined the process of change. First by accompanying her to fairs, carrying products such as mangoes, bananas, chiles, blackberries, cucumbers, and different plants grown on her farm. Then, actively participating in training workshops and also reflecting on their own role in this new stage of life.
"The countryside is not a punishment, it is an opportunity"
Today, they both work together on their “Quezalcoatl” farm. There, they grow fruit, vegetables and coffee, raise poultry and use tools they have learned, such as rainwater harvesting, to cope with the dry season. Their vision goes beyond conventional agriculture: they dream of turning their space into a model of a diversified farm, integrated with the environment, open to rural tourism and educational for a younger people, that is, for the new generations.
Part of the challenge, they explain, is to break down the stigmas surrounding agricultural work. "Many young people prefer to go to the city or even abroad, because they don't see a future in the countryside," says Marta.
The countryside is not a punishment," says Fausto. "It's an opportunity. We want young people to see that there are more sustainable, more modern and dignified ways of working the land. It is not only about planting, but about creating knowledge, generating income and taking care of the environment.
"Before, everyone had their own world. Now we share just one."
Both Fausto and his wife are concerned about the growing urbanization process in El Salvador and say it threatens the environment but also creates a disconnection of young people from the land. However, at the same time, they see a lot of hope in the new training initiatives that are being developed thanks to the support of organizations such as FUNDESYRAM. Through workshops, fairs and diploma courses, many communities are recovering knowledge, experimenting with new forms of agroecological production – some of which had already been forgotten – and rebuilding the community fabric.
In Quezalcoatl today much more than food is grown. It is a space where traditional knowledge is recovered, agroecological practices are applied, family ties are strengthened, and community is built. Marta and Fausto want to continue growing: improve their coffee production, expand vegetable cultivation, train more neighbors, and generate sustainable income.
"Before, everyone had their own world. Now we share just one," says Marta. And that world is full of plants, organic fertilizer, crop planning, rainwater conservation, and above all, a new way of understanding life. "Of course we want to make a living from this, but we also want it to be beautiful, to make sense, to inspire," says Marta.
We are in a process of transition," Marta continues, "We want to take care of the environment, teach others, and continue to grow, little by little, from what we have.
Written by Roberto Jardinero
