Meet Wendi, a member of the Women with a Vision of Success in Guatemala
Wendi is always busy. The 27-year-old mother of two starts working at 2 a.m., making fresh tamales she sells on foot in her community. By sunrise, she has already fed the chickens and ducks she raises for meat and eggs, gotten her daughters ready for school, welcomed two other young children into her home as a nanny, and sent her husband off for the day. Most nights, Wendi sleeps only about three hours—not because she wants to, but because this is what it takes to keep her family going.
“I start with 30 tamales,” she explains. “When they’re done, I take them to the men who want them at 9 a.m., while the next batch cooks.” She repeats the process and then starts selling again around 4 p.m., continuing to sell throughout the evening, all while keeping her household running.
Wendi is part of Mujeres con Visión al Éxito (Women with a Vision of Success) in Santa Rosarita, Esquipulas, Guatemala, which received an RSWR grant in October 2024. With her loan of about US$345, she bought large aluminum pans to raise her tamale production and chicken wire to protect her flock from roaming dogs.
Although the loan helped her business grow, the biggest change has been personal. Wendi is gentle by nature—but now she speaks up. She isn’t shy about telling people what she sells or asking for what she needs.
“Wendi does so many things and she is so young—it’s extraordinary,” says Eva Ramírez, one of RSWR’s Country Coordinators in Guatemala. “She used to barely speak, she was so shy. Now she speaks up and tells her story.”
This is what partnership looks like: a woman finding her voice and building a better life for her and her family.
Giving Tuesday is tomorrow. Please consider supporting women like Wendi by donating to our end of year campaign, Make Love Visible. With support from donors like you, we’ve raised $139,316 towards our $300,000 goal. Give before December 31st and help Make Love Visible to women and communities around the world.
