The following all call Maria Ophelia's small house a home: A 12-year-old, a 9-year-old, a 7-year-old, a 4-year-old, a 2-year-old, and 50 chickens. When you have five children and still want to work, you have to find a job that puts you near your children,
she explains. With the children this young, who will help me watch them if I am out in the field?
Thanks to business coaching and a customized microloan from NamasteDirect, Maria Ophelia's poultry business is thriving, and she is setting her sights on bigger things, like education for her children. For her and other women in rural Guatemala, a small bit of economic empowerment goes a long way.
If you are in the mood to work, there are no real problems, even if you have difficulties in life,
says Maria Ophelia. She is constantly striving towards self-improvement. After attending a free workshop on how to make necklaces and other artisanal crafts, she now spends some of her time creating jewelry, which her husband then sells on her behalf.
Maria Ophelia's dreams, work ethic and dedication are reflected in her own definition of the characteristics of a strong woman: A woman who fights for her children, who thinks about the future, who volunteers and gives back to the community - that is who a strong woman is.
Please help Maria Ophelia - and others like her - to realize their dreams. Visit NamasteDirect.org today!
