“I was just surviving,” Violeta said. “Living day by day … I didn’t even know what a dream was.”
In Guatemala, approximately 60% of the population lives below the poverty line. According to the Associated Press, 95% of employed people don’t make enough money to provide basic necessities for their families.
These statistics represent what was the daily reality for Violeta and her family. From early in the morning until late at night, she sold fruits and vegetables, hoping to make enough to feed her two children. When her day was not profitable, she would return and ask for her children’s forgiveness for not being able to feed them.
“It was a very sad moment and very painful. I felt useless. I just wanted to disappear,” Violeta said. “If only I had known what was about to happen.”
When Violeta began attending classes in Convoy of Hope’s Agriculture program, she learned life-changing information about how to raise and sell chickens, and about her own self-worth and confidence.
“Through Convoy of Hope, I learned that I am useful and that I have value,” Violeta said. “My self-esteem has improved a lot. I can provide for my kids and I am happy now.”
After participating in this program, Violeta can provide for her family both inside and outside of her new career.
“Now, I dream big, that my kids would go to school and graduate, about growing my company,” she said. “Thank you, Convoy of Hope, for coming into my life, for taking the blindfold off my eyes, and showing me how to dream.”
Thank you for helping Convoy of Hope change Violeta’s story. To help others just like her, click here.
