José Tráncito Romero, Finca Ojo de Agua and Fuente de Agua

Our daughter is very intelligent and attends university in the capital. Studying while blind is quite a challenge, especially in a country with limited resources and facilities to support students with disabilities. We are immensely proud of her achievements.

Our son faces different challenges; he didn't learn well in school and now helps my wife and me at home and in the neighborhood. I believe he will live with us forever; only God knows what will become of him when we die.

Anyway, I'm a happy man, despite the obstacles I face in life, just like everyone else, of course. I was 20 when I started working in the café, and now I'm 49 (in 2023). The café plays a major role in my life and in the lives of our entire family.

We have one hectare of land divided into two small plots. One has a natural lagoon/pool that has never run dry in my entire life, and the other has a small spring, which is truly a blessing for us, as we never have to fear drought on our land.

Although coffee is by far our most important crop, since 2021 we've also been growing tomatoes. We started doing so to diversify and because the price we can get for our coffee is very volatile. Now, we go to the city market every week when we have fresh tomatoes, which supplements our income. And next to our house, we also grow onions, garlic, lettuce, cucumbers, and more tomatoes, all for our own consumption.

What we earn from coffee alone isn't enough for a family of four, especially now that our daughter lives so far away and needs our support to pay for her studies. That's why we also started selecting the best beans from our harvest to make microlots. It's an additional source of income and, honestly, also a source of pride and pleasure. It's wonderful when one of our coffees is seen and sold in a shop somewhere on the other side of the world.

I don't know what the future holds, but I feel fortunate to have our own land in a peaceful spot in the mountains. We have a mild climate, plenty of freedom despite working hard, and there's always enough food on the table when you grow your own crops!