Annex I
The communities of the study

Selection of the communities

The criteria used to select the communities to be studied were:

• Ease of access (roads and paths in good condition).
• Institutional presence of governmental or non-governmental organisations which facilitate the work with the different groups and provide both contacts and interpretation facilities in local languages.
• Traditional zone of maize production.
• Communities that could serve as centres for communication and the spread of information to other neighbouring communities.
• Social and agricultural conditions suited to the objectives of the study.

On the basis of the application of these criteria, the following sites were selected:

• Aguacatán I: Aguacatán, Aguacatán Centro, La Barranca, Río Blanco, La Vega and Río San Juán.
• Aguacatán II: Chexbajo, Cruz Chex, Chex Centro, Las Majadas Centro, Las Majadas Tucuña, Tucuña and Ojo de Agua.
• Chiantla: Las Guayabitas, La Cruz la Labor (Canton), Las Cruzes 2, El Manzanal and San José Las Guayabitas.
• Todos Santos Cuchumatán
• Nentón: Chanquejel.
• Jacaltenango

Community study workshops

In each of these selected communities, meetings with the different community groups were organised around which investigations, reflections and discussions were held on the different subjects of the study. This work was coordinated in a process of observation, in which informal direct interviews provided the basis for a general workshop where the communities were presented with the main findings and analyses derived from the work of information gathering. All this information, together with the findings of the secondary revision of the study constitute the basis of this report.

In each of the selected sites, work groups were formed by gender so as to facilitate the participatory process and thus record the different perceptions in the matter. In both work groups the same consultation and discussion methods were implemented so as to ensure that information on the same subjects was collected accurately. In a second phase, the groups were brought together to analyse and evaluate the results.

As a starting point, each sub-group (male-female) was given the following question: "What is the participation of women in the farming of maize?" To answer this they started with identifying specific data on the activities and tasks, their timing and who (men or women) participate in them.

The "Present map/Future map" technique was applied to detect the needs of the participants. This technique consists in obtaining a physical description of the current conditions in the community, (infrastructure, education, social and economic situation). This was particularly useful due to the language differences in dealing with some groups. A similar description of ideal future conditions, also prepared by the community, constituted the basis for the identification of areas in need of attention.

The "General Workshop"

The general workshop was carried out with representatives of each of the six communities where the mini-workshops took place, representatives of the governmental, non-governmental and international organizations.

The general workshop's aim was to present in a consolidated way all the information discussed in the community workshops, with the participation of representatives of the communities themselves and of the development institutions present in the Department, both governmental and non-governmental. This activity was to seek validation of the information and to discuss possible recommendations that derived from the analysis of the situation on the basis of three fundamental aspects.

The methodology used in running the workshop was:

1. To present the results of all the mini-workshops held previously. Analysing the differences and similarities in the findings from the various communities.

2. To form three integrated discussion groups with participants from all the institutions and communities involved and discuss the following subjects:

1. The role of women in the conservation and farming of maize.
2. The conservation of maize as a genetic resource.
3. Consideration for and importance of local technologies.

3. To present the results of the group discussions on the information examined and the actions proposed, both by the communities and by the institutions involved.