Operation Blessing graduated 175 students from training courses in poverty-stricken communities of Cartago, Limon, Guatuso, San Ramon and San Jose, Costa Rica. "My business grew and grew," Natalia said. "I bought more sewing machines and hired two more dressmakers to help me make more clothes."

COSTA RICA - For Mayela and Natalia, two Costa Rican women, poverty has been a way of life; that is, until they learned to sew.

Mayela, a fifty-nine-year old widow, suffers from diabetes and has had severe difficulties coping emotionally following the deaths of both her mother and husband.

Her only income has been a small monthly pension of $66 from her deceased husband, which was not enough to support herself and her two granddaughters.

Also faced with hardships, Natalia, a mother of three, found herself struggling to support her family when her husband was laid off from his job of 13 years.

Both Mayela and Natalia live in impoverished communities of Costa Rica; neighborhoods consumed with drug addiction and prostitution.

To combat the problem of poverty, Operation Blessing offers free dressmaking courses to provide adults and young people with the skills needed to gain employment, start businesses, and improve their lives.

For Mayela and Natalia, the Operation Blessing training courses did just that, supplying them with not only the means to earn more income to support their families but also enabling them to teach their new skills to other family members.

"Taking the dressmaking courses helped with my depression after the loss of my husband and mother," Mayela said. "Now, I am teaching one of my daughters dressmaking and we have plans to start a family business. I have more income and live better with my two granddaughters."

Natalia's life changed as well. After just six months of OBI's training, Natalia took out a small business loan, bought her own sewing machine and began making clothing.

"My business grew and grew," Natalia said. "I bought more sewing machines and hired two more dressmakers to help me make more clothes."

Natalia's husband now works with her and together they sell dresses, blouses, skirts and handbags in local clothing stores throughout their community.

In addition to dressmaking, OBI also offers courses in baking and beauty.

In July 2006, Operation Blessing graduated 175 students from training courses in poverty-stricken communities of Cartago, Limon, Guatuso, San Ramon and San Jose, Costa Rica.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

This microenterprise venture is one of many Operation Blessing projects touching lives around the world. You can be a part of improving the quality of life for impoverished communities by supporting these and other life-changing programs.

 

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