Blog Feed“Mejor”
I am a Freedom from Hunger Trustee. I recently traveled with staff to Peru to meet the women Freedom from Hunger is serving through its partner, FINCA Peru. What amazed me most was the determination of the women to provide something “mejor” (as the women said in Spanish), or “better,” for themselves and for their children. I met a woman, Herlinda Hinahosa Lizarraga, who was using her loan toward a “chupetera,” which was a machine to freeze water into ice. This was important to her business helping her husband sell fish. Women like Herlinda are the reason I support the powerful work of Freedom from Hunger. I am interested in your comments about the Peru stories you have heard today.
7 Responses to ““Mejor””
Joanne Leslie | 09-28-07
Watching the video we took in the Churcampo market and listening to the podcast of the women’s group brought back wonderful memories. I think Herlinda, Yolanda, Victoria, Lourdes, Sonia and all the other great women I met would be thrilled to know that people all over the United States are hearing their stories. Ask me about them.
Mike | 09-28-07
Thank you for sharing this wonderful virtual tour of Peru. I had no idea of the struggles of the women of Peru. I pledge to do my part in supporting Freedom from Hunger.
Claire | 09-28-07
Hi Joanne,
I so appreciated the way you explained what life is like for these women–and especially their kids. After all the women you met, who impressed you the most and why?
Joanne Leslie | 09-28-07
In response to Claire’s question, I guess the woman I met in Peru who impressed me most, in the sense that I think about her a lot, was Yolanda. She lives in La Merced near Churcampa (the town where the market video was taken). Yolanda is 23 and has one daughter, who is three years old. Maybe I felt a special bond because her daughter’s name, Yasli, sounds like my daughter, Leslie. Yolanda has taken out a loan to provide seed capital to allow her to buy and resell tara seeds, which have recently begun to be used commercially for medicines and hair products. But this is just the beginning of her plans. When she can save up enough and/or take out a larger loan, Yolanda wants to raise pigs and fatten them on cactus juice. She has thought out her plans so carefully and is so serious, I just know she will succeed.
Walter Johnson | 09-28-07
Thanks for telling us about Yasli. I had no idea that there is such a thing as cactus juice, and that it might be used to feed pigs.
Thanks for all that you do for women in third-world cultures.
Walter Johnson
Nancy Dutton | 09-29-07
Joanne,
It was so good to see you on the video on Freedom from Hunger Day. You did a wonderful job. Thanks for all you do for Freedom from Hunger.
Nancy Dutton
former employee of FfH
Rebecca Tirre | 09-30-07
A sincere thank you for the work that you have done to end the poverty in these countries. I have many friends that left many Central and South American countries because of their lack of opportunity there. Thank you for making an economic future possible for my friends and their families. I admire your hard work as well as the many people associated with this organization.