Indira was raised by her grandmother in San Narciso village in the district of Corozal. She graduated with a degree in Agricultural Engineering. She is a lover of nature and farming. Her passion for agriculture was sparked when she began farming as a high schooler. Indira loves helping and sharing her technical knowledge with the people around her. Some day, Indira hopes to become a sustainable organic farmer herself. No matter what she does, she will continue to help the people that need it most.

Extra credit: Indira enjoys reading and getting involved in community activities.

Emmanuel grew up with a single mother since his father died when he was 6 years old. He lives and was born in Ranchito Village, Corozal District. He started working on a farm when he was 13 years old in order to pay for his education. Then he became passionate in farming and completed his Associate Degree in Agribusiness. He worked for 7 years at the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association as an Extension Officer, where his job was assisting small scale cane farmers with technical advice in improving cane quality. He was also involved in social projects such as monitoring child labor with the International Labor Organization (ILO). He hopes to continue helping farmers while protecting the environment.

Extra Credit: Emmanuel is a team player, and believes that by working together as a team big things can be accomplished.

William is responsible for the community of Santa Martha in the district of Orange Walk. William grew up in a family that was always involved in agriculture, either in the sugar cane industry or the cattle raising industry. It’s where his love for agriculture came from. He spent weekends either in the fields or on horseback herding his grandfather’s cattle. William earned his associates degree in Agriculture Business at Centro Escolar Mexico Junior College, and worked as a cable and internet technician for six years. He is passionate about his work and enjoys assisting people in the agricultural sector, especially since farming is something he believes most people take for granted.

Extra Credit: William loves traveling, seeing new places, and meeting new people.

Saul learned about agriculture from his father. His passion for agriculture grew as he grew up. When he finished his Associate degree in Agriculture Business, he joined the Belize Sugar Cane Farmer Association where he worked as an environmental field officer for five years. His job was to prevent sugarcane producers from using agrochemicals restricted in the sugar industry under fair trade standards. He later joined the Sugar Industry Research and Development Institute as a field officer for research and training under the Farmer Field School program for seven years. Afterwards, he went back to school for an Agricultural Engineering degree from The "Instituto Tecnológico de la Zona Maya.” Saul values the importance of uniting as a team and showing love for others through sustainable agriculture.

Extra credit: Saul strongly believes that everyone achieves greater heights when we all come together for a common goal.

Deysy was born in Comayagua, Honduras, where she grew up with her parents and siblings. She went to university in the city of Tegucigalpa. She dislike seeing and hearing of injustice, which motivates her to help wherever she can. Her love for animals and plants brought her to SHI. She enjoys supporting the Honduras field trainers and collaborating with the team. She is married, and her son is studying Energy Engineering.

Extra Credit: Deysy enjoys dancing and traveling.

Alex has 24 years of experience in agricultural projects, rural development geared towards poverty reduction, and environmental conservation. His expertise includes using value chain approaches, building inclusive business relationships, and developing sustainable, profitable food production systems in harmony with the environment. He is comfortable working in different geographical contexts, with different approaches, themes and communities. He has led training processes, provided technical assistance, and promoted strategic alliances between sectors and between public and private entities. He is now doing the same with our TREE program.

Extra Credit: Alex has a heritage tied to the coffee value chain, making his personal and professional commitment to promoting rural development based upon a deep motivation to implement climate-friendly, innovative practices and methodologies.

Joel has more than 15 years of experience in diverse areas, including agriculture and cross-cultural collaboration. He uses his expertise to foster harmony between humanity and the environment. Joel cherishes interpersonal relationships, and feels that they are more important than any professional goals. Through friendships with farmers and entrepreneurs, Joel learns from the people around him every day. Joel enjoys a good coffee with rewarding company and challenging projects, which motivate him to support our field trainers and ensure the success of SHI’s programs.

Extra Credit: Joel loves spending time with his wife and four great daughters, who also love country living and feel grateful that there is a superior being accompanying them on their journeys.

Frank is a native of the department of Intibucá. He is a trained agricultural engineer, and finds significant joy in sharing his knowledge with SHI’s partnering families to help improve their livelihoods. For Frank, his work is always rooted in fostering trust and collaborative relationships. He successfully coordinated, led, and managed SHI’s innovative Promoter4Change pilot project. Now, he is helping our team expand our impact by using the pilot project’s results and learnings to develop the TREE program.

Extra Credit: Frank enjoys spending time with his family and going on long walks in nature.

Orlin is a passionate horticulturist, with over 15 years of experience in the agricultural sector. He holds a degree in Agricultural Engineering from the National University of Agriculture and Livestock (UNAG) and a Master’s in Project Management from the Catholic University of Honduras (UNICAH). Before joining SHI, he worked on major international cooperation initiatives, such as the USAID MERCADOS FINTRAC project. He also served as a consultant for ACDI/VOCA on its TMS (Transforming Market Systems) project and as an agricultural consultant for AMEXCID (Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation) in Honduras, collaborating on its Sembrando Vida and Jóvenes Construyendo el Futuro projects. Additionally, he partnered with governmental institutions such as the Honduran Directorate of Agricultural Science and Technology. Orlin has empowered organized small producer communities via Field Schools, rural savings and credit groups, and microenterprises, always with the goal of improving their incomes and protecting natural resources. He is now doing the same with our TREE program.

Extra Credit: Orlin enjoys riding motorcycles, breathing fresh air, and, as a coffee enthusiast, exploring new varieties and cultivation methods.

Kristhel was born in Siguatepeque, a municipality in the department of Comayagua. Since she was little, Kristhel always admired the women in her family who worked in the field of agroforestry, work she believes honors Honduras’ name. Inspired by the women in her family, Kristhel decided to pursue an education in forestry engineering with a focus on community development and environmental conservation. Altruistic and empathetic, she has always aspired to pursue a career dedicated to helping others.

Extra Credit: Kristhel enjoys spending time with her family, including her mother, sister, and grandparents, and her favorite activities are swimming, traveling, and going to the movies every Sunday.

Wilmer was born in the city of Tegucigalpa, Francisco Morazán and grew up in the city of Santa Rosa de Copan. He has two Master's degrees in Business Administration and in Project Management, and also has two Bachelor's Degrees in Agronomic Engineering and Agricultural Business Administration. Most of his professional experience is related to microbusiness, agribusiness, rural development and local economic development. He is currently a father with three graduated children from university. Wilmer is supportive, compassionate, and likes working with people from vulnerable populations. It brings him satisfaction to be an agent of change.

Extra Credit: Wilmer is passionate about sports, including soccer and motorcycles.

Kellys Eneida Lorenzo was raised in a farming family in the community of Toro Bravo, district of La Pintada, where she attended primary school and high school. She continued her studies at the University of Panama where she gained certification in Diversified Secondary Education and her Bachelor’s degree in Natural Resources and the Environment. Prior to working with SHI, she worked seasonally as an agricultural extension agent with the Ministry of Agricultural Development (MIDA) in the district of La Pintada.

Kellys has significant experience working in agroforestry, with an emphasis on the cultivation of healthy food. Her dream has always been to work with an organization like SHI to train smallholder farmers to adopt agricultural practices that are friendly to the environment. Kellys is extremely excited to join the SHI-Panama team.

César comes to SHI with extensive experience in agricultural development, agroforestry, reforestation, and self-sufficiency farming. He has an engineering degree in agricultural development and has worn many hats throughout his career. As part of the SHI-Panamá team, César is looking forward to sharing his knowledge with partnering families while, in turn, learning from them. He’s excited and ready to contribute to SHI’s growth and the sustainable development of the country.

Extra credit: César’s life-long passion for agriculture was instilled by his grandfather, whose career as a farmer helped provide a better life for a large family. César was born and raised in the province of Coclé and currently lives in the community of Río Grande where he proudly grows a wide variety of fruits and vegetables on his land.