Flor Ochoa Velásquez is originally from Coatepeque, Quetzaltenango. She is 28 years old and has been part of the Agricultural Program coordination team for 10 years.
Flor shares that her greatest motivation for being part of FUNDAP is the chance to help bring about radical change in many families. Through her work, she is able to reach those who truly need support—and thanks to the collaboration of various institutions, projects can be implemented in the most vulnerable communities.
One of the most rewarding experiences she mentions is witnessing how, throughout the course of a project, people begin to change the way they think and act, adopting new habits that benefit them in many aspects of life. As a woman, one of the biggest challenges she has faced is earning the trust of some producers who initially doubted her because of her gender. But through training and ongoing support, she has shown that she can help them improve—gaining their confidence through her skills and dedication.
What Flor values most in her daily work is the mutual support and trust among colleagues, and the warm welcome that FUNDAP staff receive in the communities. These signs confirm that their work is being done well.
Flor dreams of continuing to create opportunities, bringing new ideas to life, making the most of available resources, and seeing people feel proud of what they’ve achieved.
For her, finding purpose and fulfillment in life comes from thinking of others and being of service. “That’s exactly what we do at the Foundation,” she says. And with great humility, Flor adds that the needs of the people we work with always come before personal interests.
