Juan Castillo: Planting Values and Food Sovereignty in El Papaturro.
Ten years after his first encounter with SERES, this young Salvadoran shows how trusting in youth yields harvests that nourish an entire community.
Juan Carlos harvesting spring onions during a visit by members of the SERES leaders’ network to his community.
A Call That Sprouted Leadership
In 2014, Juan Carlos Castillo joined the Actívate program, never imagining the experience would ignite his vocation for service. Meeting SERES connected him with the root causes of Suchitoto’s social and environmental challenges—and, above all, revealed his own capacity to lead solutions.
“SERES opened my eyes and my heart. I realized dreaming isn’t enough—you have to organize and act,” he recalls.
From Learner to Catalyst for Change
Over the next decade, Juan Carlos completed the Catalizadores program, bi‑national gatherings, and an 18‑month internship with SERES. There he honed skills in agroecology, facilitation, and resource management that he now shares with:
80+ women who grow community gardens and sell handicrafts
120+ children who discover values, reading, and writing in his weekly workshops
A youth group designing actions to protect their micro‑watershed and preserve native seeds
His university studies in Agroecological Engineering bridge academic theory and community practice, reinforcing the adoption of organic farming techniques in El Papaturro.
“Planting Values”: Education That Takes Root
Juan Carlos’ flagship project gathers local children twice a week to grow vegetables, share stories, and discuss respect, cooperation, and leadership. For him, growing one’s own food is an act of sovereignty: when families control their seeds and nutrition, they also cultivate dignity and resilience in the face of the climate crisis.
The biggest obstacle has been youth apathy, but Juan Carlos meets it creatively—blending traditional games, dialogue circles, and collaborative challenges that link purpose with fun.
Footprints That Multiply
Replicated youth leadership: three former students now lead workshops for new groups
Scaling agroecological practices: 15 families already produce organic fertilizers and diversify crops
A cohesive community: intergenerational seed‑exchange events and green fairs bring together 300+ people each year
A Legacy in the Making
“I want to be remembered as someone who promoted organization, teamwork, and food sovereignty. My workshops are the seeds; the new generations are the forest to come,” he says.
Juan Carlos proves that when we trust, accompany, and invest in young people, the impact extends far beyond a single beneficiary—it becomes community culture, planetary care, and social justice.
Join the Movement
If you believe in the transforming power of youth like Juan Carlos, join us:
Share this story so more people learn about his work.
Donate for our youth programs.
Connect SERES with schools, organizations, or businesses that want to strengthen food sovereignty and climate resilience in Central America.
Let’s keep planting values that will blossom into sustainable futures.
