English
translation of Diana’s questions and her
summary of the responses she received: November
2003
By
Diana Hammer
1.
What do you do to survive? What type of work
do you do?
The participants “work the land”
and plant corn, beans and rice. Some others
also plant pineapples, peanuts, sesame, and
cashews or raise cattle. Those who don’t
work with their crops full time are teachers,
students, housewives, CRR or CRIPDES workers,
or fulfill some responsibility within their
community.
2.
How much do you earn on average for your work?
The majority of the people responded with a
strong “NOTHING” to this question.
The farmers gain, to quote a few participants,
“just enough to get through the work day;
Just enough to survive; For the family expenses,
nothing more.” Those that have a cash
income told me that they earned between 500
colones ($57.14) each year to “$100 a
month when there is work”. One elderly
housewife told me that she earns between 5 colones
(Salvadoran currency prior to the installation
of the US dollar) to $1 each day or every other
day from selling seeds and soap derived from
olives. She depends on her son for corn and
just has to deal with the other needs that she
has.
3.
Does your family have another source of income?
What is your total family income?
Of the 28 participants in this study, 8 (29%)
said that other family members, or maybe the
entire family, works. In 6 (21%) of families
both the husband and wife work. Only one woman
said that her husband is in the U.S. and sends
her money from there, although that same situation
could exist in other cases, but was not mentioned.
Almost half of the participants, 13 (46%), said
that there is only one person receiving the
family income, although in reality, the survival
of a farming family requires that all family
members work.
4.
With what you grow and the money you earn, what
can you buy? What can you afford?
All of the 28 participants said that they buy,
“just to get by; the most necessary.”
Within the products that were mentioned as necessities
are:
- house products, salt and sugar, most basic
things
- fertilizers, pesticides, labor (when it is
possible)
- a pair of shoes, a sombrero, machete. But
at times we can’t afford even a sombrero
and we go without covering our heads.
- The things you can’t grow: oil, soap
… well … the most indispensable
things.
- To use in the house … we are very tight
- To sell something, butter, spices, tomatoes,
sugar
- The necessary: clothes, medicine
5.
How does your family meet its other necessities?
With a single voice the participants told me,
“For the other necessities? We just have
to deal with them. We pull through. You have
to sell your corn or beans the whole work day.
Help from the World Vision and International
Plan groups. Maybe one has some animals that
he can sell to buy some other things. If there
is an opportunity to get out and earn some money,
you go.”
6.
How many family members do you have?
The count is between 1 and 11 family members.
I noticed that those who only have one member
are the elderly. Those that have 3 or 4 family
members are of various generations like the
case of the woman, her daughter and her grandchild.
In at least one case, there were only 4 members
of the nuclear family, but they lived in a house
with 13 members of their extended family.
7.
What do you understand about CAFTA?
Only three of the participants said that they
did not know much about CAFTA, although they
understood it would be something negative for
the country. The other 25 participants view
CAFTA as something foreign, like the current
government’s projects, to benefit big
businesses that have the possibility to compete
in international markets. To them it appears
that CAFTA is going to make basic grains be
brought in to El Salvador from outside so that
the basic grains produced in El Salvador will
drop in price. In the words of one man, “it
is a maneuver at the governmental level of the
country in Central America and at the international
level, so that the farmer cannot meet his necessities.
These products come from other countries. The
consumer doesn’t have a choice. This does
not benefit us.”
8.
Who will CAFTA benefit?
Once again, only one person said that they did
not know what to answer for this question. 16
said that CAFTA will benefit the country’s
rich. 8 mentioned the big businesses and those
who own them. 7 think that CAFTA will benefit
the government and that is why the government
wants to impose it on the country.
9.
How do you believe that CAFTA will affect you
and your family?
The majority (16 people) responded to this question
saying that CAFTA is going to make it difficult
to sell agricultural products here. Another
4 said that it will also make products from
other countries come in that will be more expensive,
including the privatization of health care and
education. Another 3 participants said that
products from other countries are going to enter,
like genetically modified seeds, that are not
as healthy. 3 other participants didn’t
know what to answer. 2 people said that the
Salvadoran manual labor will be cheaper. 2 others
said that their lifestyle will be thrown out
and ruined with CAFTA. One person said that
it will affect their family because they will
continue organizing for marches and reject the
agreements.
10.
What do you plan on doing if what you cultivate
cannot be sold at a good price?
6 farmers said that in this case, “then
we wouldn’t be able to do anything,”
“it will bankrupt the farmers,”
“we will die of hunger.” 6 others
said that they will only produce corn for the
consumption of their family and to survive.
7 people said that they will organize more marches
and manifestations to raise people’s consciousness
and to reject the policies of free trade. 4
will look for other alternatives and workshops
for other types of work. 3 are going to look
for alternative ways to continue to produce,
like local product exchanges in the community.
1 said clearly that “we already do not
sell anything.” A farmer explains, “If
one cannot maintain their livelihood here they
either have to immigrate or steal, but that
will not happen in my case because I work and
work. How do you manage to maintain a family?”
Even with all the alternatives that were mentioned,
one elderly man summarized the entire situation
with his comment, “only God is with us.”
11.
What can we do as an organization and as a community
so that this doesn’t happen?
The majority of the farmers, 22 people, said
that they need to organize, to keep their community
strong, and to start marches and strikes so
that this doesn’t happen. One man simply
said, “we have to keep a solid organization,
manifest our discontent, and look for other
alternatives for life.” Or, in the words
of one woman, “To march is to demand that
we do not sign CAFTA because the people don’t
want it … we don’t want it. It is
a disaster for El Salvador.” 5 farmers
recommended speaking with the government. As
one woman said, “maybe demand that the
government … everyone united, you know
… that they get rid of all of this, in
the next election, let’s vote.”
[Presidential elections will be March 21, 2004].
Another 5 want a complete change of government.
2 say that you need to vote for the FMLN. There
are 2 also that say that it is necessary to
continue raising the people’s consciousness
and to make an effort not to buy foreign products.
Only one person said that they didn’t
know what to answer or what to do.
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