My name is María, and I am from the community of San Antonio in western Honduras.
My journey has not been easy. I lost my mother when I was 3 years old, leaving my three siblings and me in our father’s care. From a very young age, I had to take on significant responsibilities. By the age of 8, I was cooking, cleaning and working in the fields to help my family.
My father did everything he could to provide for us, but there was never enough money. I was only able to attend school through the sixth grade. At 16, I moved to the city in search of better opportunities and began working in private homes.
Later, I became a mother. My daughter was born prematurely and had health problems. Her long stays in the hospital caused me to lose my job. I had to return to work to pay for her medication, often taking her with me. In some jobs, she was not treated well, and I had to leave to protect her. There were days when I had nothing to give her to eat, but I never stopped fighting to move forward.
Today, my daughter is 6 years old. When I heard about the creation of a care services co-operative, I wanted to learn more. From the very first meeting, I felt hope. I began to see a new future for my daughter and me. I told myself, “If I’ve made it this far, I’m not going to give up.”
For me, the co-operative represents an opportunity to grow, to bring greater dignity and recognition to our work, and to build a better future alongside other women.
To young women and girls, I say: take care of yourselves, pursue your education and keep moving forward. If one day you have to face life on your own, don’t give up. It isn’t easy, but with hard work and support, we can move forward.
Because together, we are stronger.
