Doña Maria inherited her farm which she manages alone. It’s a big challenge for a woman, especially as all of her land is devoted to coffee production. She first started growing coffee using credit from a bank loan and the expert advice of her brother Don Moncho, also a coffee farmer. But when hurricane Mitch destroyed much of her land and devastated her crop in 1998, she was unable to repay the debt and found herself in a bad situation.

However, with the expertise of her brother, Doña Maria has been able to rebuild her farm and reinstate coffee production. This exemplary effort and determination has paid off, as this year she celebrates the fact her coffee has been selected by the Cup of Excellence programme on the basis of its exceptional quality. Not only does the high premium dramatically improve her situation, she now feels really motivated as her hard work and efforts have been internationally recognised.