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Candice Hiatt is a Temporary Program Officer for Mercy Corps.
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Guatemala June 23, 2011 6:59AM
Mercy Corps Guatemala program featured in USAID Frontlines magazine
Candice Hiatt
Temporary Program Officer
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Delma Gomez (center, in white sweater and black floral shirt) is now able to buy plenty of nutritious food for her children, thanks to the income she earns through Mercy Corps' IMARE program. Photo: Mercy Corps Guatemala
USAID's Frontlines magazine recently showcased Mercy Corps Guatemala’s Innovative Market Alliance for Rural Entrepreneurs (IMARE) program through the personal story of Delma Gomez, one of the first women to start working with the program. The 32-year-old Gomez says that, before being involved in the program, she spent all of her time at home doing housework and taking care of her children because there were no places in the community where women could work.
"The project has been a huge benefit because before we didn’t have any opportunity to work and earn money" Gomez said. "Now with what I earn at the packing center, I have been able to improve what my children eat.”
Gomez estimates most of her earnings, around 70 percent, go towards purchasing food for the family. She also said that her children are sick much less often now and seem to be growing faster as well.
