Maura L – Agriculture (Malacatos, Ecuador)
Maura Lucía Armijos Guamán is a small-scale farmer. She is 35 and married but she does not have any children. Doña Maura lives in the district of La Calera which is in the parish of Malacatos south of the city of Loja. She learned farming and animal husbandry from her parents. At present she grows maize, tomatoes and peppers. These crops are in high demand in Malacatos and also the larger city of Loja around half an hour by road to the north. Unfortunately, in the last growing season she did not do well because of adverse weather conditions so she has sought a loan in order to help buy fertiliser and seeds – usually she reinvests from profits from the previous season.