The world business is full of stereotypes that pretend to limit women, nevertheless, the entrepreneurship stories from Doña Magdalena and Doña Zuly are clear testimonies that costarican women have more than enough capacities to break those boundaries.
Magdalena Hernández (66 years old) and Zuly Castillo (58 years old) – both neighbors of Moravia – have successfully embarked on the adventure of creating their own businesses.
On one hand, Doña Magdalena has dedicated a little more than 25 years to teach “quilting” (which is the art of creating things from pieces of cloth), all of her projects stand out because they are hand made and most of the designs are original. The dedication and love she works with are noticeable on the final pieces, according to her they represent the mixture between her greatest hobby and the responsibility and commitment she has to offer her clients a good quality work.
Her fame hasn’t been for less and she has had such success that her class is full with 10 loyal students, who gather up weekly in order to learn how to sew and share some quality time between friends and artists, something out of the daily routine.
Not only she has made friends thanks to her entrepreneurship, she has also found abilities she did not know she possessed and is now developing with greater awareness, like for example patience and the talent to design and combine colors and figures.
Read also about Tibás: A pro-environmental city
Even if the job demands a lot, Doña Magdalena is grateful for the economic stability that has given her the opportunity to get her independence, the means to “treat herself” from time to time and also that it is something that keeps her active while doing something she loves.
Doña Zuly was Doña Magdalena´s student, and with her she discovered her passion for the arts and crafts and has made her own quilt creations, she has also taught herself several techniques and since a year and a half ago started her “cameo” impressions business, she gets orders for personalized jars, keychains, little boxes, cards, t-shirts and all you can imagine.
Likewise, she warns that the path to entrepreneurship is not easy, it requires a lot of skills, time and effort and it can be exhausting at times, but it is all worth it.
Previously she had worked as secretary at the Lincoln school and the Universidad Latina of Costa Rica for approximately 20 years, however, she guarantees that with her own business she has managed to be more independent. She is grateful for the work experience she had in those institutions – circles is what she calls them – but she is incredibly happy with her decision, she believes that having a job is a blessing and so she tries to give the very best of herself in order to provide an excellent service.
Both Doña Zuly and Doña MAgdalena are exemplary women who demonstrate the strength and potential that empowered women have, and besides the great quality of their products, their stories tell us a lesson that it is never too late to start a new life project, taking risks gives results and last but most importantly, that life is meant to be lived happily!
