The benefits of a fair wage in Eliene and her team's lives

Across all our projects, our teams earn a consistent wage, which enables people such as Eliene Riberio and her team in Cavalcante, Brazil to afford education and improve their lives.

Before joining Eden, Eliene was a stay-at-home mom to her two children and looking for a fulfilling career. She found it here.

"This is what I wanted. I feel better as a person, as a mother, and as a wife. I found my place; I found my profession. Here I found myself."

When we opened the Cavalcante nursery, Eliene filled seed bags and built nursery beds. As the nursery grew and we hired more team members, Eliene was promoted to nursery manager. She takes inventory of the species planted, tracks what has germinated in the nursery, determines whether more seeds need to be gathered, and leads her colleagues.

Eliene and her colleagues are examples of how working with Eden can change lives. She is going back to school to study environmental management so she can further expand her role and have a greater impact on the local environment and her community. Others have bought bicycles, purchased washing machines, built fences around their homes, and purchased land.

"My team and I see daily the consistent benefits work has had in our lives," says Eliene.

Even Eliene's children can see the difference their mom and her team make in their environment and everyday life. On her own, Eliene's daughter has started saving seeds from apples and other plants around her for Eliene to take to work, and she looks forward to working with her mom in the nursery in the future. Like any mother, Eliene wants the best for her children and is excited that they're beginning to understand the importance of protecting and preserving landscapes.

Thanks to your support, Eliene and her team work with dedication and resilience to create a better life for themselves, their families, and the environment. To help us continue providing employment opportunities to communities across Brazil and nine other nations, donate today.