De La Gente (DLG) creates economic opportunity for smallholder coffee farmers in Guatemala by seeking to connect coffee farming communities with the international specialty coffee market, ensuring farmers can commercialize their high-quality product at fair and sustainable prices, driving benefits back to their communities. A $5,000 AllPeopleBeHappy Project Grant has been awarded to DLG to help the 35 members of the Ija’tz Cooperative (located in San Lucas Toliman) to 1) build one 12×25 meter cement patio to be used to drying coffee, and 2) contract a full-time Agricultural Trainer from the local community for 12 months to ensure farmers are educated on best practices and techniques for caring for their coffee plants. The total cost of the Ija’tz Coffee Quality Improvement Project is $10,000. (www.dlgcoffee.org)