“Now I decide for myself”

Learning a trade is not always enough to get ahead in life. These women in Peru know that all too well. Thanks to development training, they gained more self-confidence. “Now I decide for myself,” says one participant.

At Wilde Ganzen, we give every person the chance to develop themselves, so that you can shape your own life the way you want. For a group of women in the Ayacucho region, this was not easy. They often cannot read and write or express themselves easily in Spanish. They speak Quechua, the language of the original inhabitants. In daily life, they face great inequality: the men are in charge and they have to obey.

Fair wage to support family

One of these women is Ms Lourdes Cristan. She works in a knitting workshop run by the social enterprise Diamanta. In this workshop, she gets a fair wage and good working conditions. “I have been working at Diamanta for many years,” she says. “I have always supported my husband, who as a master builder is often out of work for months. I contribute financially to the household and support my children who are at university.”

Standing up for yourself

But just more pay did not lift her out of poverty, as she was very timid and found it difficult to stand up for herself. Like eighty other women – ranging in age from 18 to 65 – she received training to improve her personal skills to make her more confident and empowered. The aim of the project is to ensure that these women get better jobs and make smarter decisions in their lives. We also want to stop domestic violence and ensure that the children not only receive a better upbringing, but also support in their school careers.

Making your own decisions and saving money

“Thanks to the workshops I received, I have become more independent in my decisions. Now I decide for myself,” Ms Cristan proudly tells us. “I have also learnt that saving is essential for my economic growth and with my team, we decided to create small piggy banks, a way to save monthly for year-end expenses or when emergencies arise.”

From a timid woman, Lourdes Cristan has grown into a woman who has become more assertive, standing up for her own interest and that of her colleagues. A wonderful development.

A project that works!

This project tackles poverty at its roots. Wilde Ganzen is so convinced of the power of this approach that we have decided to continue supporting this project in the coming years. This will allow many more women to benefit from the trainings in the future.