by Marcela Pino
At Food 4 Farmers, we knew that to truly support coffee-farming communities, we needed to cultivate local leadership. That’s where the Community Promoter Certificate Program came in. The idea is simple: we train young people connected to coffee-farming families in three key areas. First, they learn the technical skills needed to manage home gardens, agroforestry, and coffee systems. Second, they develop communication skills to engage with the families they serve. Third, they gain program management tools, like data collection and setting impact indicators. What makes our program unique is that it doesn’t stop at technical training—we focus on building leaders who can inspire and manage change within their communities.
Myself and F4F's Program Manager Bety Ocampo provide training to future promoters.
Why We Created This Program
When we first started Food 4 Farmers, I led all the workshops, and our program coordinator managed data collection and family interactions. It quickly became clear that we couldn’t do it all on our own. We needed more hands, and those hands needed more skills. Over time, we saw that many of the young people involved were going above and beyond. They became vital members of the community, and some even landed better jobs at larger NGOs or started their own businesses.
That’s when we realized we could do more to support them by offering a formal certification. This certification not only validates their hard work but also provides them with something tangible to show after years of commitment. For many, it offers a way to stay in their communities and contribute meaningfully rather than seeking low-wage jobs abroad.
Building Skills for the Future
We partnered with ASDENIC, an NGO in Nicaragua that specializes in youth training, to create the program curriculum. It covers a wide range of topics: from organic food production, soil health, and natural pesticides, to larger concepts like agroecology, climate adaptation, and food sovereignty. But we didn’t stop at farming skills. We also teach community leadership, circular economy principles, and even technological skills like data collection with tablets. Our goal is to ensure these young people are equipped to handle the challenges their communities face, from climate change to devastating food insecurity.
Bety provides hands-on instruction to members of the certificate program.
The Impact So Far
I’ve already seen the difference this program is making. Many young people have told me they feel more confident and capable than ever before to lead their families and neighbors communities to a brighter future. They’re eating healthier because they have their own home garden, they know how to better protect the environment, and their training included basic tech skills, like using tablets to collect data. They’re more resilient and better equipped to handle problems as they come up.
Bety with a member of the certificate program.
Looking Ahead
To me, success means these young people staying with SOPPEXCCA for years to come, using their skills to help their communities. If they move on to better jobs, that’s great too. What’s most important is that we’re giving them the skills and opportunities to thrive, without needing to leave their homes and families behind.
This is what the Community Promoter Certificate Program is all about: creating opportunities, strengthening communities, and building a more sustainable future.
