Interview with the Mujeres Ganaderas

Last fall, SHARE staff member Bethany Loberg interviewed members of the Mujeres Ganaderas Cooperative in the Bajo Lempa.  This article is the first in a series of profiles that we will be sharing with you.

Fidelina

One of the earliest members of the Mujeres Ganaderas, Fidelina has watched the cooperative grow from around 50 women in the early 1990s to 268 women today. Fidelina sees the cooperative as a real benefit to women, helping them learn, develop themselves, get along better, and make many friends. Trainings with Equpo Maíz have helped Fidelina and other participants learn about themselves, gender, and self-care. The purchase and sale of cattle has helped Fidelina economically to support her children’s studies and maintain her household. Before she joined the Mujeres Ganaderas, Fidelina spent all her time in the kitchen and the house, and didn’t have this opportunity to learn and grow. She passes all she learns on to her children.

Fidelina’s husband died young, leaving her to raise their six sons, the youngest of whom is now fourteen. Her six sons are very caring and supportive of her participation in the cooperative, especially since the cooperative has helped them over the years. Fidelina feels great trust in the cooperative; it has never failed them.

Fidelina serves as a board member of Mujeres Ganaderas. She sees the cooperative’s meetings as a way to develop oneself and lose one’s shyness. She says that those that do not go often stay shy their whole lives. Fidelina, however, likes to share her opinion. She feels content to have learned more about gender and herself, and for the loans that have enabled her to purchase her cattle and support her family.