Changing Lives
One of the most rewarding aspects of working with migrant farm laborers is knowing that the work we do together can contribute to changing their lives for the better, without sacrificing growers’ bottom lines.
It’s like we always say: Responsible Recruiting is good business.
Because CIERTO’s approach is based on facilitating strong working relationships between workers and growers, when we’re successful, workers come back to the farm season after season.
We’re like great matchmakers.
When we help a grower and a worker hit it off, it’s good for everyone. One of our most successful matches has been pairing Magui and Elizabeth with AgSocio.
Magui and Elizabeth have been working with CIERTO and AgSocio for 4 seasons. They return to the same grower year after year because their work and their skills are respected.
This combination of benefits for growers and protections for migrant workers is potent.
It’s like our whole thing!
Last month, during a border crossing with about 90 of their fellow workers, our H-2A Program Assistant, Jimena Jimenez had a chance to chat with Magui and Elizabeth about their journeys.
The insight we got from this interview is that working in the US through the H-2A program can be a life-changing experience – and not just for the workers themselves.
Multigenerational Benefits
According to Magui,
This opportunity… allows us to give our children the opportunity to get an education and other benefits that we, as parents, didn’t get to have.
Elizabeth keeps “coming back to work in the US through the help of CIERTO so that I can provide for my family and all of their needs.”
For a lot of workers, it’s economic hardship that drives them to North America for work. Working with a conscientious employer like AgSocio allows Magui and Elizabeth to make real improvements in their everyday lives.
And for Elizabeth:
I always dreamed of having a car, and now I finally own one!
An improvement like this one not only fulfills Elizabeth’s dream, it makes Elizabeth’s life easier in concrete ways. After working in the US for a couple of seasons, Magui was able to buy a house.
Stories like Magui’s and Elizabeth’s Are More than Just Heartwarming, Feel-Good Stories
They’re an indication that a new movement in responsible recruiting for agricultural workers is gaining steam.
When everyone in the food labor supply chain is protected, everyone benefits. Freedom from fear and debt means workers are more productive. More productive workers means a more profitable farm.
It’s truly a win-win situation for everybody.
CIERTO is working with the Federal Government to recruit H-2A guest workers from Guatemala. Your farm may be eligible for a $500 per worker incentive to offset logistical costs related to this incentive.
