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Shayla outside her
store
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Shayla was born in El Sauce and is the oldest of
three children. Her family was very poor when she was growing up, but both her
parents were teachers so they ensured Shayla received a good education. After
high school, Shayla went on to study psychology at UNIVAL (Universidad
Internacional de la Integración de América Latina). After graduating however,
she was unable to find a job in her field.
Since she could
not find a job, Shayla decided to start a business with her father and
together, they opened up a bookstore, which she still owns today. Shayla
considers herself a very independent woman; though her husband also works, she enjoys
contributing to the family income through her store. Her 15 year old daughter,
also named Shayla, is the most important thing in her life, and everything she
does is with her in mind.
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Shayla, her sister,
and two nieces
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In her store, Libreria Mairena, she sells a variety of
goods including school supplies, craft supplies, and paper of various colors
and sizes. For Shayla, the most fulfilling part of running her own store is
attending and talking to her clients. Her loan from Enlace of U$200 helped Shayla
better stock her store with items such as printer ink and tracing paper, which are
very expensive.
In the future
Shayla hopes that her business will be stronger because right now, business is
slow. She is considering applying for another loan so that she can ensure her
store is well stocked for her clients. Since her daughter will soon be
graduating high school, Shayla wants to ensure that she is able to support her
college education. She is grateful that Enlace taught her how to save money,
and inspired by what she learned in her training, she recently opened a bank
account for the first time.
--Written by Jessica Kroenert and Cameron Houser
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