Arelis Calvo Santana, a resident of the community of Corojito, in the municipality of Colombia, believes that her life is perfect because she dedicates her days to what she likes and does it with the best of company, her husband and son.
Colombia, Las Tunas.- By Decree Law 259, she received 12.42 hectares and she went to these lands, with the greatest will, to transform an almost lost environment into productive areas dedicated mainly to livestock and, to a lesser extent, to the cultivation of various crops.
She joined the Conrado Benítez credit and services cooperative and set out to undertake what she considers her greatest work. Fortunately, her husband has 24 hectares and the two areas are adjacent. So, just like at home, they share the work.
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"I have 30 head of cattle and a good number of sheep, goats, poultry, and horses. Taking care of them is my priority, so they always have water and food in the barracks. For them, we plant cane and King Grass that is ground or chopped into pieces."
"They are milked early in the morning, almost at dawn. And then they go to the paddock to spend most of the day. This has given us results because so far this year we have over-fulfilled our meat and milk plans. There is never an exact figure, but we are delivering more or less 300 liters each month."
Arelis and her husband have not escaped the criminal acts that occur these days in the rural areas of Las Tunas province, although the damage they have suffered due to the disrespectful behavior of some individuals is not related to large livestock.
"We spend all day watching the animals. My husband and I split up to keep watch and they are always looked after. They sleep in pens, attached to the house, each species in its own. We also have dogs that bark when they sense something different and let us know."
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Corojito is a very dry area that has not fully recovered, despite the rains a few weeks ago. Nevertheless, the couple manages to feed their livestock and plant some crops.
"The advantage is that we have a good well with a turbine and we take advantage of it. There are about three hectares with plantations of cassava, banana, maize, pumpkin, and some vegetables. One part is for family consumption and the other part is sold through the cooperative."
New horizons are opening up for the couple with their insertion in the project "Increasing the climate resilience of rural households and communities through the rehabilitation of productive landscapes in selected localities in the Republic of Cuba," IRES.
They have not yet received material resources; however, the knowledge acquired in workshops and other training activities is being multiplied. In addition, they are gradually being integrated into a silvopastoral module, which combines livestock rearing with tree planting.
Although the general objective of IRES is to adapt to climate change and protect the environment, its development will favor food production, an activity to which Arelis has been committed since she received her land in usufruct.
