 |
| Rosa selling her delicious potatoes and ceviche |
Petite in her blue coat, Rosa Condor navigates the streets
and markets in Cajamarca, looking for fresh produce to prepare her daily recipe
of ceviche and potatoes. With help
from DiscoverHope, Rosa has achieved her independence and is able to provide
for her four children. She has a successful small business and even before Rosa
sets up her food, clients are already waiting for her.
This is for sure a success story, and one of many I have
heard since arriving in Cajamarca. There are hundreds of women whose lives are
being changed by the DiscoverHope/Microcredit alliance, which provides low
interest micro loans and complements them with capacity building. But Rosa’s story,
though I’ll share a bit here, is yet to be told.
She is a single mother of four – two girls and two boys. Her
oldest is 14 years old but when he has no school, he contributes to the family
income by working in a combi
(microbus). Tania and Nataly, 9 and 7 years old respectively, go to school
during the day. And there is Brian, about 2 years old.
Three times a week, Rosa wakes up at 4 a.m. and walks long
distances to catch a combi that will
take her into town to make the purchases for her ceviche. On those days, she leaves her children sleeping and does
not return until 6 or 7 a.m. Already, this has presented grave problems. A few
years ago, one of the girls lit up the stove and caused a fire that almost took
the two girls’ lives. Now Rosa has her locale two doors from her home, but she
still must leave her children alone at dawn.
In her makeshift kitchen, small chores become harder. She
often squats to peel potatoes and corn; runs inside the living room to use her
blender; and has to haul her food two doors down to her small restaurant. In
the restaurant, she has no running water or a proper stove, so she has to
prepare everything at home and then carry it to the restaurant. Many buy Rosa’s
ceviche but few know the cost at
which Rosa is able to maintain her small business.
Rosa’s profits have allowed her to put food on the table for
her own family. She has also acquired proper beds for her family and a few
commodities, such as a TV and a dresser. But she still has higher aspirations. Her
dreams are to have a locale with everything necessary to prepare her food in it.
She also wishes to learn more recipes so she can provide a wider variety of
foods for her clients.
As Rosa sits outside her locale, during the rare moments when
she has no clients, she barely stays awake. Her mornings are tough. But twice a
week, her afternoons are filled with joy as she visits her communal bank for
knitting classes. The morning version of Rosa, tired and overwhelmed, becomes
alive at the knitting sessions. Surrounded by her peers, she is less shy, has
an easier smile, and a quicker laugh.
~Alexandra
