The story of Ednalva Lima, 49, migles with that of many rural women, strong and hardworking, who stands out in life because they believe they can get there. President of the Rural Producers Cooperative of President Tancredo Neves (Coopatan), her life is characterized by the support of her children and the desire to develop her region.

In 2002, when her oldest daughter Luciana joined the Rural Family House of President Tancredo Neves (CFR-PTN), Ednalva not yet had understood how the study could change the course of her trajectory. According to her “There she learned new planting techniques and took them home. At the time, our production jumped from 10 to 18 tons of cassava per hectare”. In 2005, Ednalva became President of the Rural Family House, an initiative that, together with Coopatan, is part of the Odebrecht Foundation’s Development and Integrated Growth Program with Sustainability (PDCIS).

Even with the cassava production improving gradually, the low price with which the product was marketed left her disheartened. “There was a period that when making the flour to sell after paying the workers, all that was left was enough only for food.” “We lost hope because we invested and when it was time to earn, we lost,” she says. Then, after been encouraged by her daughter, she joined Coopatan and went on to deliver their production at a fair price. Years later, Ednalva became President of the association, position that she holds until the present date. “I give my best for the development of my cooperative”, she confesses.

In 2007 her youngest son Edinei Lima, now 21, joined CFR-PTN, and with the resources of the to the Odebrecht Foundation’s Tribute Future Program, made a banana and cassava crop project, considered one of the best of his class. The role of the youth in the community began to be realized after the breakthrough in the productivity of his crops. “My area served and serves as an example for my neighbors, here we learn and teach,” stresses Edinei, who is also cooperated member in Coopatan.

Today, Ednalva affirms that all transformations, which she and her family went through, have been critical to her growth and development as a farmer and to her children as young protagonists. “The dream that seemed impossible has turned into reality, we now have over 25 hectares of land in which to produce, when adding my area with that of my son Edinei. We are reaping the fruits of all our effort and commitment,” she says.

Accomplished in the countryside Ednalva sees that her family will follow in the same paths. “In addition to my children, today my greatest happiness is seeing than my granddaughter already has implemented a small cassava area,” concludes.