Irma's Path To a New Truth
As a young woman she began to make her own decisions
Irma Torres, a 25-year-old K'iche' woman, lives with her parents and 7 siblings in the Tierra Colorada community in Momostenango, Totonicapán. She and her family, like the majority of the department, fight against the severe poverty and inequality that plague the region. This is a reality that Irma has been facing her entire life. When Irma completed 6th grade, she told her father that she wanted to continue studying. Unfortunately, as a family of 8 children, it was simply impossible for her parents to cover the education expenses of each child beyond primary school. Irma recalls her father telling her,
...we are going to be even so that there are not some with more studies and others with nothing,”
It was at this moment that Irma abandoned her dream of being a teacher. Her father's choice stemmed from growing up in an environment with limited opportunities to access a reliable economic foundation, therefore pursuing work, rather than education, was the obligatory path to take. With only a 6th grade education, job opportunities were scarce for Irma. The only alternative she could find was embroidery, so she learned to make güipiles. Making a piece was a process that took her about two months, but she could sell it for Q150.00, a considerable amount for Irma.
After 6 years, Irma began to earn a decent living and was able to resume her studies in the National Alternative Education Program of the Ministry of Education. During this process, her class received a visit from a mediator who invited them to be part of the Puentes Project of USAID, World Vision, and partner organizations, as an alternative to support young Guatemalans to improve their quality of life and help them take control of their future, accompanying them on the path to study opportunities and development of their skills to access employment and sustainable income streams. Irma answered the call.
As a participant in the project, she began the ‘Emprender con Éxito’ Diploma, designed to promote the development of basic skills for life and provide inputs for the preparation of a Life Plan. Additionally, she completed the ‘Ofimática Aplicada’ course, offered by the partner organization of the project: Asociación Grupo Ceiba. This technical training program allows participants to strengthen their skills to perform office tasks using the computer and a selection of software as work tools. For Irma, both training processes were very helpful to access a job as a teacher of the National Literacy Committee -Conalfa- of the Ministry of Education. My ‘Emprender con Éxito’ Diploma and the ‘Ofimática Aplicada’ diploma helped me a lot to get my job, says Irrma.
Although she had never worked on a computer before becoming a participant in the project, Irma now has the knowledge and experience with technology to prepare minutes, attendance lists and browse the Internet for resources that help strengthen her work as a teacher. Three years later, Irma earned the title of Mrs. Irma among her students, as she assisted them in learning to read and write.
The decision she made not only helped her change her reality but also opened doors to help other women in her community. Currently, in charge of a group of 10 students between the ages of 35 and 50, she confesses that she especially feels very satisfied to discover the scope of the impact that her work has on other indigenous women and their families:
I am very happy when they can help their children with their homework because there are mothers who still cannot read or write. When their children receive the support of their mother then the children can go to school without fear”.
The empowerment of women and girls is fundamental to the realization of human rights and is key to effective and sustainable development results. For societies to prosper, women and girls must have equal and secure access to the same rights, resources, and opportunities. Irma's case confirms that empowering women in ICT today is preparing them for the jobs of the future. Developing her skills provided Irma with the tools to take advantage of the opportunities that are presented in her community, which translated into a decent job and a significant improvement in her income.
They are supporting me, my parents. They told me to cheer up, so I kept going. I can cover my expenses to come to study.
About this Story
Co-authored by: Oscar Villeda, World Vision and Zeina Hijazi Dubray, USAID
Edited by: Zeina Dubray, Creative Director for USAID/Guatemala
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), World Vision, and the implementing partners seek to improve the quality of life of youth ages 15-29 in selected Guatemalan municipalities, as measured by indicators of employment, education, and hope, thus addressing the main drivers of irregular migration. The Puentes Project is implemented in the Western Highlands, Alta Verapaz and Guatemala City, in partnership with: Asociación Grupo CEIBA, Asociación Kemow Eta´manik Bilingüe Intercultural (AKEBI), Fundación para el Desarrollo Integral (FUDI), Fundasistemas, Juárez & Associates Inc., Red Nacional de Grupos Gestores y Vitruvian Consulting. The Project aims to improve skills and abilities for work and access to employment or entrepreneurship opportunities for young people between 15 and 29 years of age. The activity also seeks to promote innovative approaches to increase demand for quality services for HRI and address key structural barriers by addressing stigma and discrimination.