If a person had tried to get to know Candelaria Saloj 10 years ago, they might not have truly come to know her. Shyness seemed to be part of her DNA. At that time, she had not yet experienced the exponential growth that has led her down the personal and professional path we have witnessed at EARTH Futures.
Candelaria began her path at Oxlajuj E Association out of necessity when she needed to complete her final professional practice in high school. The Association has played a crucial role in empowering Mayan women through the cultivation and processing of the grain amaranth in Sololá, Guatemala. Since 2022, the Association has benefited from mentorship through the Resilient Agrifood Systems Project (RAS) led by EARTH Futures with funding made possible by a Walmart Foundation grant to EARTH University Foundation. “I was studying to become a Certified Public Accountant, and even though I’m from the village of El Tablón, I didn’t know there was an Association here. That’s when fate stepped in, because when I submitted my internship application, the Board of Directors opened the door for me to be part of it,” Candelaria explains.
Her performance during her initial period at the Association impressed the team so much that they offered for Candelaria to stay for three more months. Eventually, she took on the role of Production Manager. “My involvement in the complete amaranth processes, from toasting to cookie production, served as a catalyst for me to start growing as a person,” she adds.
Gaining that knowledge not only helped her strengthen her technical skills, but her well-known shyness also began to fade, leading her to become a key figure in the association. “When I started working here, I was very shy. I didn’t like being photographed, nor did I feel comfortable speaking, but as I developed in my role, the nerves became less and less.”
After a while, she left the production area, and due to the experience she had already gained, she was encouraged to become the production technician for the project. “I questioned whether I was ready. I doubted if I could do it and I felt I lacked knowledge. This wasn’t what I studied, but I had already learned a lot, so I decided to go for it,” she adds.
The Impact of EARTH Futures on Her Journey
Vilma Julajuj Chipín, Market Access Coordinator for EARTH Futures in Guatemala, has accompanied the Association in a series of mentoring sessions. She was in charge of the diagnostic phase and, together with the team, developed an action plan. Like Candelaria and many of the amaranth producers, Vilma is also Maya Kaqchikel, which created greater trust.
“The Candelaria I met versus the current Candelaria is more empowered. Her presentation skills have improved tremendously. She can now speak about attributes, and her knowledge and communication have progressed significantly,” says Vilma.
Currently, Candelaria serves as the Production and Commercialization Technician at the Association. It was through EARTH Futures’ mentoring that she learned key strategies to attract clients, communicate effectively, and follow up. She developed skills in cost management and finance, and gained confidence in herself. These experiences allowed her to empower herself, connect with other professionals, and successfully present her project at events like Agroconecta, where she has expanded her network of clients and suppliers.
For her, the greatest learning was mastering the essential components to making effective sales. According to her, mastering sales techniques and learning to communicate effectively was crucial in her process. “The nerves would get the best of me, and it had a big impact to learn all of this. That’s why Agroconecta was great practice, because I had to provide the precise information within a reasonable time without going on too long,” she adds.
Vilma highlighted that at the event, Candelaria’s performance in the business roundtable was remarkable, presenting Oxlajuj E’s value proposition and attending to potential clients outstandingly. “She’s a very intelligent person, and it was nice to see our work with her reflected that day. It even brought tears to our eyes. She has a good vision. She’ll probably become a community leader because she has many talents.”
Candelaria is reaping the rewards of her efforts. Part of her current work at Oxlajuj E involves attracting new clients, maintaining relationships with existing ones, and following up, a task she continues to refine after the mentoring from EARTH Futures and Agroconecta, as part of her ongoing evolution in the organization.
“Ten years ago, I didn’t imagine myself here,” she says. “If it weren’t for the Association, where would I be? This is a struggle. We are working for and with Mayan women. We have to recognize them in any space, value their knowledge, train them, and give them opportunities for participation,” she adds.
When talking about her remarkable transformation, with an inspiring tone Candelaria confessed what we already admire about her: “I have seen myself come out of my old self, overcome fear, and feel confident that my knowledge is greater than my beliefs about myself. And I know that, like me, we can all achieve this.”