Reinventing yourself to continue undertaking during the health crisis

The Virgen del Carmen Committee, from Cambyreta, Itapuá, has been working with the Fundación Paraguaya for 13 years; given the current scenario in our country and the world as a result of COVID-19, the women of this group decided to be creative and reinvent themselves to move forward. Doña Sebastiana Silva, owner of a sewing workshop, says that since the clothing production has stopped, she decided to manufacture face masks and personal protection clothes, such as overalls, caps and gowns.

 

 

In the same way, other members temporarily chaged the direction of their ventures towards the sale of face masks and gel alcohol. Sebastiana knows that this situation is a litmus test for microentrepreneurs such as her, but despite this, she leaves aside negativity and focuses her energy on always improving her work. “Sacrifice, innovation and creativity  runs in our blood, the blood of entrepreneurs. We must try to see that every cloud has a silver lining, and during this time, that silver lining translates into the solidarity and the accompaniment of family and friends.”

 

 

Since the beginning of the mandatory quarantine, a big part of the population has been forced to pause their busy routine and stay home to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. As the days went by, anxiety and uncertainty about the future took over the most vulnerable families, because due to the lack of the necessary income, the basic family goods would be affected.

 

 

Until solidarity took the leading role in every corner of the country, with the famous “ollas populares” (community meals). The Committees of Women Entrepreneurs of the Fundación Paraguaya from the offices of Ciudad del Este, Encarnación, Villarrica, San Juan Nepomuceno, Luque, Limpio, Ñemby, Villa Elisa, Caacupé and Chaco decided to lead this activity to contribute their grain of sand in their communities .

 

 

One of the things that characterizes the microentrepreneurs of the Fundación Paraguaya is that the vast majority of them work in crafts. Asela Bogado, a client of the Carapeguá office is one of them, she has been dedicated to the weaving of poyvi since she was 13 years old. With the beginning of the quarantine, many of her works had to stay in pause. She says that the beginning was hard due to the lack of sales, but now, with the smart quarantine measure, her venture is generating new productions.

 

 

Without losing her joy, Asela says that undertaking with crafts gives her great satisfaction and pride, since her works and the culture that comes with them, will be immortalized in the homes of many families. “One of the many teachings of this health crisis is that we should never lose faith and joy,” says Asela.