Cristofer Gabriel

Cristofer Gabriel is a 22-year-old farmer who lives with his family in rural Imbabura, in northern Ecuador. In his family, farming is a tradition passed down through generations, becoming the cornerstone of their livelihood, allowing them to cover household expenses and finance their children's education.

With the knowledge he learned from his parents, Cristofer decided to work on his own crops three years ago. With their support, he began planting his first fruit trees on a family plot. Currently, Cristofer cultivates naranjilla (a tropical fruit native to Ecuador) and tree tomato plants on several hectares of land. To ensure a successful harvest, he employs eight people who work in planting and tending the orchard.

Each year, he manages to produce around 1,250 sacks of tree tomatoes and 800 boxes of naranjillas. Each one is sold in local markets.

Cristofer has applied for a loan, which he will use to invest in agricultural supplies, fertiliser, the purchase of stakes to support the passion fruit and tomato plants. In addition, he will use some of the funds to paying wages to the people who will work in the orchard to fertilise and place stakes in the fruit trees.