In the community of Santa Lucía, in Diriamba, Nicaragua, the Díaz Baltodano family used to live day by day, their lives dictated by the unpredictable rhythm of the rain.
For Nardonis Díaz, a 37-year-old farmer, and his wife Martha, every dry season brought the same question: how will we feed our children?
Their small farm once relied on a single 1,000-liter tank and the short rainy season to grow crops. But when the rain stopped, so did their harvests. Droughts lasted longer each year, the soil cracked under the heat, and their hopes for income withered along with the crops. “Before, we planted only 600 square meters,” Nardonis recalls. “Once the water ran out, we could do nothing but wait for rain.”
In Nicaragua’s Dry Corridor, climate change is no longer a distant concern. Rising temperatures and erratic rainfall threaten food security for thousands of farming families like the Díaz Baltodanos. The once-fertile land is now marked by droughts and floods that make agriculture a constant struggle.
That struggle began to change when Good Neighbors partnered with Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE) to help farming families build water-harvesting systems.
Through the project, Nardonis, an active member of Good Neighbors’ agricultural promoter group, received support to build a spring-water collection system on his farm. What was once a small tank became a 60,000-liter reservoir equipped with a piston pump, a sixtyfold increase in their water capacity.
I love helping my dad on the farm. It’s beautiful when the crops grow big and ready for harvest. I helped build the water collection system, and now our crops do not dry up when the rain stops.
— Acner, Nardonis’ son
“Before I planted 600 square meters, now with this tank I will be able to plant three hectares of land,” Nardonis said proudly.
With reliable access to water, the family achieved remarkable results. Their irrigation efficiency improved by 80 percent, their dependency on rainfall was greatly reduced, and they successfully cultivated six tareas or 0.9 acres of asian pumpkin.
During the dry summer months, the Díaz family harvested 1,500 asian pumpkin, earning C$15,000 (around 410 USD) in just 45 days. After costs, they gained a net income of about C$11,250 (around 305 USD), enough to cover food, school, and farm needs.
The Díaz family now plans to expand their production by 100 percent. With drip irrigation, they aim to plant two manzanas (2.8 acres) of plantains and quadruple their cultivated area.
Beyond the Díaz family, this project is transforming lives across Carazo. Families once trapped by drought now have access to water for farming, enabling them to secure food, income, and resilience.
So far, the project has helped families install spring-water harvesting systems that store up to 60,000 liters, improve irrigation efficiency by 80 percent, and strengthen household food security and climate resilience.
For Nardonis and Martha, every harvest now represents more than income. It is a symbol of independence and hope. “Before, we depended on the rain,” says Martha. “Now, we depend on our own work and the water we can save.”
Good Neighbors and CATIE continue to support families in Nicaragua’s Dry Corridor with training, technology, and sustainable farming solutions that make every drop of water count.
Support Good Neighbors and help farming families turn drought into opportunity: www.goodneighbors.org/donate
Good Neighbors is a global NGO dedicated to improving the lives of children and communities in over 50 countries.
Good Neighbors has held a General Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) since 1996.
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