When Yanelys Hernández Souza saw the effort of years destroyed by the waters and winds of Hurricane Ike, she felt that the storm was coming again. With two children and practically nothing, she knew, from the first moment, that it would be very hard to start over; but also that she and her husband Wilber Santana would make it because they would not lack motives and energy in this difficult situation.

In the community of Laguna Blanca, in the municipality of Jesús Menéndez, in a place surrounded by marabou and brushwood, they embarked on the road to agricultural production, and it was not with little effort, but with great tenacity, that they built what is now a farm whose name honors the daily maxim in those lands: "El Esfuerzo" (The Effort).

"It was a challenge. The first little house here was built out of guano, and we made it out of whatever we could find: wooden planks, iron sheets, zinc... whatever we could find. So I thought we had a hard task, but we were going to win, and we did. In every effort is the hand of every one, together we have pulled the farm forward, it has been a great achievement", says Yanelys, now protected by a firm and safe roof, while holding in her hands a carton of eggs just collected, the fruit of poultry breeding, one of the tasks she leads on the farm.

In addition to caring for the chickens and pigs, she takes care of the offspring of the goats that die or that, for some reason, the mother cannot or no longer breastfeed them. In these tasks, she has taken the pulse of the countryside, of which she knew very little. In this work, she says, the most important thing is the love and the effort that is put into it.

THE HARVEST OF "THE EFFORT"

Wilber Santana Martínez knows well the satisfaction of harvesting what he has sown with hard work. This man planted his knee in the ground, more than a decade ago, when he arrived at the land of what today is a family project that flourishes with the tenacity of each of its members.

"I started with cattle, then I incorporated the smaller ones and, little by little, taking small steps, now we can see good outcomes. It has cost a lot, because it was not a matter of buying the breeding stock and that was it, the economy was bad. The small livestock is a bit of work because of the lack of medicines, but with good care it is possible.

"Here we graze the animals and provide them with permanent water in the canoes, and grass. We also grind king grass, moreira, and a little sugar cane to sweeten their food. We plant all this on the farm, and we also put salt in the canoes, which is also good for calcium. We are slaves to this, but we like it," explains Wilber while the eldest of his offspring milks the goats, and little by little a jug, and then a bucket, fills up with fresh and nutritious milk.

This simple and hardworking farmer says that if he dreams, he dreams a lot; above all, he dreams of maintaining what he has achieved and seeing it bear fruit, something that is possible since his sons Rafael Alberto and Wilber Albert supports him in every idea and their love for farming.

"I had to learn as I went along. I'm a mechanic, and I got into this world of land and animals that don't have a nut on it. It's a very beautiful world, you get everything from the field. From here I do not move my foot to any other place, because I feel proud of what I have achieved, of myself and of my two children, who I know they will give continuity to this work".

Every gram of soil in "El Esfuerzo" carries the symbol of tenacity; after days and nights, the family was able to install a fixed dome biodigester. The biogas generated is used to light the house and the surplus is used to fertilize the soil. In addition, they have a windmill and a pair of solar panels that supply the energy for the operation of a turbine used in the work in the fields and the house.

THE NEW GENERATION, LIKE THE RAIN THAT RENEWS THE GREEN OF THE FIELDS

Rafael Alberto - the eldest of Wilber and Yanelis' sons - welcomes the sun and bids it farewell even in the midst of the work in the fields. This talkative and enterprising boy knows from a very young age the value of the land and the work that builds forms, and generates goods, for the benefit of the home and society.

"At 5:00 in the morning we start milking the cows, then we start feeding the pigs and then milking the goats. Later, we take care of the cattle, the grazing of the animals, the cutting of the food, we also grind feed for the goats and cattle to maintain the milk production to be sent to the local stores, for the children's food.

"This has no time, it is finished at 6:00 in the evening, at 8:00 or 9:00 pm. The animals are a little bit of work, but well, let's move on; we are always working here," he expresses casually and loquaciously.

Although his brother, Wilber Albert, who is 18 years old, follows in his footsteps in the daily work on the farm, talking is not his thing. Shy, he talks little, but just enough to talk about his chores, aspirations, and his recent degree in Veterinary Medicine, obtained at the Manifiesto de Montecristi Polytechnic School, in the municipality of Jobabo.

"I like to be with the animals. Since I was a child, I have been working on the farm with my family. I get up early and get ready to help my dad, I take the animals out, help with the cattle, and herd the rams. I am proud to help them every day and I plan to continue fighting for the farm; I would like to see it progress and move forward.

Last September, both brothers received the Youth for Life Award in recognition of their efforts in food production, at a time when this area of the economy is crucial for the country. In its name and essence, the distinction is a nod to that creative youth that in all areas of society gives part of itself in pursuit of the community; explicit and implicit will in "El Esfuerzo", a farm that lives up to its name.