The rural community of Riachão do Jacuípe, Bahia, has reason to celebrate. After 18 years of working in a makeshift space donated by the community association of Mandassaia II, women in the region now have a place to produce sweets and pastries for income generation.
The new center for the Dona Izabel Women’s Group was built from a collective effort, with local men and women working together in the construction process. This is a long-time dream come true for the community, signifying step forward for the women of 78 local families to feel valued, have jobs and stay in the countryside.
Maria Odelice, one of the group’s founders, notes that the new center will boost food productivity and sales for the community, “Before, we didn’t have enough space and the lack of equipment hindered successful production”. Maria recalls that these circumstances often made it impossible to meet demand, and that the new center is bringing more opportunities to the group. “Now the space is good, the number of women has grown and orders have increased. We have an industrial oven and even a place to pack and store the products.”
The group celebrates the achievement and believes that their experience can be an incentive for neighboring communities to have faith and invest in social projects that can improve self-esteem and the sustainability of rural communities. “We think of BrazilFoundation like a door that opens to give voice to disadvantaged people with potential. Just believe! “- says Taina Lima, project coordinator.
