María Rafaela Salazar
Lori Connell
Maria Rafaela Espinal lives in the village of Los Pinos. Maria is happily married with three daughters. Her husband works hard but has an illness that has kept him from consistent work over the years. Maria is a local church member, and we first met her through the work of Torch Missions when she and her family were living with her mother. They had a piece of land but struggled to save money to build their own homes. Mark Connell's Torch group was able to build them a concrete block house. Maria began training at the Mi Esperanza house as part of our sewing class. Maria wanted to acquire a skill that would enable her to provide a consistent income for her family. Maria quickly rose to the top of the class as one of our best students. She was eager to learn and consistently attended class. Maria graduated with her class and was asked to stay on and take the second level of training due to her exceptional skill and ability. Maria is very grateful for the opportunities Mi Esperanza has given her, as well as to many women from "low levels of opportunity." She is particularly grateful for what these opportunities will mean to her girls.
María at a glance
Children: 3
Community: Los Pinos
Mi Esperanza Course: Sewing levels 1 and 2, Personal Skills
The most recent photo of Maria was taken during a uniform project that Mi Esperanza was hired to undertake. Maria and her family are doing well. Maria continues to support her family, and her husband is disabled. Her daughters are continuing their education, and the walls of poverty continue to break down.