YOLANDA, 53 YEARS OLD HOLDS A GARMENT SHE MADE. SHE SELLS TRADITIONAL WEAR FOR WOMEN.
By Brittany Bahk
Every year on February 20th, various organizations across the globe recognize the needs & challenges surrounding global issues such as poverty, malnutrition, discrimination, and environmental sustainability. For Friendship Bridge, it is also a time to remember the core values rooted in their mission to create opportunities that empower impoverished Guatemalan women to build better futures for themselves and their families. In 2015 alone, over 29,500 women gained increased financial stability and self-empowerment through Friendship Bridge’s health, educational, and microfinance programs. As Friendship Bridge continues to reach out to more women every year, they find themselves empowered by the stories of their very own clients.
Yolanda in particular makes a living by stitching together beautiful, traditional Guatemalan wear for women. She celebrates her 10th loan cycle with Friendship Bridge this year. At 53 years old, she carries a bright smile and a youthful spirit—which she claims is due to the three glasses of freshly-squeezed milk she had every day as a child. However, Yolanda’s smile fades when she begins to talk about her past, before she became a member of Friendship Bridge:
“In the past I was hurting, because I fell into the hands of the corrupt, who took from me. I was hurting very much, and it took me a while to recover, but today I am empowered and thankful because of Friendship Bridge. I was even the chairwoman of my trust bank. They have always empowered me.”
Yolanda’s dream has always been to live a peaceful, healthy and happy life with her children. She says that as long as she is healthy and happy, so are her children. Although Yolanda herself only received up to six grades of primary schooling, she knows the great impact that stable education and health have on a successful life. Through the help of Friendship Bridge, Yolanda was able to successfully provide all of her children with complete schooling and stable careers.
“I thank you, Friendship Bridge, that you helped me. My children were given the possibility to study and everything else, starting even from what we had to eat. And now I feel happy because my children and I are able to have our own jobs. Now my goal is to keep growing my business,” Yolanda proudly says.
With the support of its investors, Friendship Bridge has been able to provide continued support to women like Yolanda, and this number is still growing. To read more about Friendship Bridge’s reach & impact, you can take a look at their Financials page linked below:
https://www.friendshipbridge.org/who-we-are/financials/
Brittany Bahk is a third-year Business Economics major specializing in International Economic Development at Seattle University. She loves to travel, serve and learn from the communities in need across the globe. She is also passionate about social justice and public health. Brittany will be the Story Collector & Field Blogger intern for Friendship Bridge through March in Panajachel, Sololá in Guatemala.
