My name is Dalia. I live in the community of La Majadita and I belong to the savings group “Entrepreneurship for a Better Future for Our Communities”.
I started my business venture with the idea of making soup on a Sunday. My mom suggested I make chicken soup and offer it to my friends. She gave me a chicken because I didn’t have any money, and helped me to get started. When I saw the idea worked, I continued making soup every weekend. I didn’t only make soup. I would make soup one weekend and “baho” (a Nicaragua dish with beef, plantains and yuca) the next weekend.
Then I had the idea of starting a coffee shop. I started from scratch. I bought a table, then plates, then glasses. I got everything little by little.
When I saw that most of the customers were young people, I decided that, with the profits from the soups, I would buy a TV and integrate the internet. I heard that they liked watching soccer and listening to music.
I continued like this for nine months, earning a profit of 10,000 córdobas. As a single mom, I used the money to support my daughter.
Then my mother died and I had to leave Matagalpa, as my father had been left all alone. I moved to La Majadita with my daughter and no longer had work.
At the suggestion of family and friends, I’m now trying to sell used American clothing. I allow people to buy things on credit because they don’t always have cash. And so, little by little, I proceed. It’s been three months and I have a profit of 7,000 córdobas. Sometimes I buy in bulk but other times I buy selected items because I know the tastes of my customers. My project for October will be selling brand-name clothes by order. I already have acquaintances who are interested.