By Edelia Aracelly Cruz Torrez, Empowering Women Project Officer
Idania, a 34-year-old mother of three, lives in the La Pedrera community of Río San Juan in Nicaragua. She describes herself as an enterprising woman with a strong desire to improve herself.
As a child, Idania struggled with obstacles to getting an education; she had to walk long distances to attend class, and could only study on the weekends because during the week she had to help her grandparents, who had cared for her since birth. After putting in a lot of effort, Idania achieved her goal of finishing high school. However, due to a lack of financial resources, she did not continue with university studies.
After graduating from high school, Idania got married and had her first daughter. The couple then moved to Managua, the capital of Nicaragua, because her husband had a job opportunity. During this time, Idania had two more children and worked on a chicken farm. The family returned to La Pedrera after five years.
Idania relates that after moving back to La Pedrera, “financial difficulties began to affect us, since my husband didn’t have a permanent job, and we were running out of the savings we had brought from Managua. My husband and I took the initiative to find a way to generate income, and the idea that came to us was to start a buy and resell underwearbusiness. I went door-by-door in La Pedrera selling the products, and my husband went out riding a bicycle to sell the products in further communities. I also started selling perfumes.”
“One day, a customer invited me to a training session given by Self-Help International’s Women’s Empowerment Program. What I liked most was listening to other women sharing their own experiences, offering words of encouragement and sharing how they had gradually overcome their challenges. After that day, I attended several more training sessions, and eventually I dared to write a letter requesting financial support.
“I used my first loan of 5,000 córdobas ($136) to strengthen my perfume business, buying a wider variety of products, and profits increased. With those profits, I paid the installments until the loan was paid off. The second loan was for 10,000 córdobas ($273), also with monthly installments. By that time, things were changing, and we were doing better since my husband had a permanent job, and in his free time he was supporting me with our own businesses.
“After paying off my second loan, I applied for a third loan, this time for 15,000 córdobas ($409.56). With this loan and some small savings we had, we decided to start a small chicken farm, since my husband and I have some experience working on a chicken farm in Managua. I took out my fourth loan for 18,000 córdobas ($491.48). With the money we were able to build three portable chicken coops, each one housing 50 chickens of varying ages. My whole family is involved in keeping the chickens: my children make sure the chicken have enough water and that everything is clean; my husband, who continues to have a stable job, takes care of the medicine; and I handle the feeding and butchering.
“Lately, my aunt has begun helping me with the butchering, and my sister helps as well. We all support each other in some way. With the chicken sales, I can pay my aunt and sister, contribute to household expenses, and reinvest in both businesses, even if it’s a small amount. It also provides enough to pay off my debt to SHI.
“Challenges are constant, but my husband continues having a stable job and helps me in his free time with the business. Each training session has helped me manage my businesses effectively and handle family matters at home. I believe that if we continue working this way, my biggest dream will come true. My greatest wish is to work very hard and build a better house someday soon, with God’s help. Our current house needs a new roof and other repairs.
“My sincere gratitude to the Self-Help International, whose Empowerment Program allows women to aspire to succeed and see things differently, providing a concrete vision for pursuing an idea, as it was in my case. Thank you for thinking of us, trusting us, and helping us. Blessings and success to everyone in this organization who, in one way or another, promotes women’s development, supporting us financially, emotionally, and in terms of our health, and placing their trust in each of us who strive to provide for our families.
“Because of Self-Help, now I feel like a successful woman who has grown both personally and financially, and I want to continue learning new skills, since SHI always has something new to offer women for their personal development.”
Powered by Wapiti Digital #servetheherd
This is my rich text.
This is more rich text.
I am a list
Lists are cool