MEET
Saray Rojas Piedra
With just a few citrus trees and a big dream, Saray is turning her family’s tradition into a future filled with flavor and hope.
Her journey
Saray first heard about Bean Voyage through other women in her community. “They told us about the beautiful experience of learning and sharing together,” she remembers. That sense of community — women encouraging each other to grow — was all the motivation she needed to join.
Her family had long worked with fruit trees, but this time, she wanted something that was truly her own. “It’s different when it’s yours,” she smiles. “You get more involved, you care in another way.”
Saray used her seed capital to buy citrus trees — lemons and mandarins — planting each one by hand under the relentless heat. “The weather was so hot, and there was no rain. Sometimes we watered with bottles, just a little at a time,” she says.
Slowly, as the rains returned, her small orchard began to thrive. She enjoyed both the virtual and in-person sessions, especially the ones that sparked debate and reflection among the women. “Some of the questions were so interesting — they made us think and share from the heart.”
“Now I walk around feeling motivated, telling others what I’ve learned.”
Key Learnings
Through the program, Saray realized she wasn’t just planting trees — she was growing confidence. “Now I walk around feeling motivated, telling others what I’ve learned,” she says proudly.
She began to see her work as a service to her community — offering fresh, local fruit at a time when most neighbors had to buy from outside. “People can have something healthy, something fresh,” she explains.
About Saray’s Project
NAME OF THE PROJECT
Vivero la Margarita
REGION / COUNTRY
Pérez Zeledón – Costa Rica
SEED FUND FROM BV
$450 USD
PROJECT TYPE
Fruit Trees
Transformation
Now, Saray’s mandarin trees are already in production. “In a good season, you can harvest ten to twelve thousand mandarins a week,” she says with a laugh. The numbers surprise her — but what she’s most proud of is what the trees represent: resilience, independence, and care.
“They’re my trees,” she says softly. “And that makes me proud.”
Looking Ahead
Saray dreams of turning her fruit into juice — literally and metaphorically. “I want to learn how to process it, how to make it something ready for the market,” she says.
Her goal is simple but powerful: “To have my own small business, something I can lead myself.”
What began with a handful of citrus trees is now blossoming into a new chapter — one where Saray’s roots of tradition meet her fruits of ambition.