Bananeras de Urabá - Mi Tierra, Madrigal, Tagua, Cantares...

We would like to thank Bananeras de Urabá for their generous donation of musical instruments, funded with Fair Trade premiums. Our children are very grateful.  ”

My name is Karen Andrea Garcia Higuita. I am 21 years old and belong to a working class family in the village of New Cologne, Colombia. My father's name is Donisel Garcia. He works in a banana plantation called Solomon which is part of Bananeras de Urabá. Through the Rosalba Cardona Zapata Corporation, I had access to one of my biggest dreams – a scholarship to pursue my university studies. In 2008, I began to study at the Universidad Cooperativa de Colombia in Apartado, in the Public Accounting program. The company paid each semester as I completed them, ultimately investing a great deal of money in my education. This assistance has been invaluable and I am very grateful for the support. I hope I can give back to the community and the company with the knowledge I have gained. The company has been incredibly helpful in my professional development.  ”

I received the new house in October 2011, which has signified a 100 percent shift in my family’s life. My labor has also seen positive changes mostly because I am freer from debt – having to pay $250 USD in rent before, where as now I pay the corporation $96 USD a month until my loan is paid. Each month I feel my house is more my own and now, all I have to worry about is utilities. Before, I used to live in the same neighborhood but in a dorm style environment. The apartment I paid for had two rooms and there was no privacy. The kitchen and dining areas were part of the same room. Now we have a comfortable home; everything is separated and more commodities are available; these changes mean a lot to us.”  ”