Natalie: Women Warriors

“Tu cocinas la comida todos los dias?” I looked across the table and asked my host mother in shock. She nodded and kindly offered me more beans.

Johanna cooks for her family three times a day, cleans the house, and makes sure her family is content and comfortable. The language barrier between us makes it hard, but I want her to know how much I appreciate what she does. Growing up in a single father home I never had the luxury of home -cooked meals and constant compassion. My father supported me, but lacked the “nourishment nature” Johanna had to offer. In Costa Rica the man is the one who makes the money, but the woman is the one who works the most. 

In Paycayitas you will find five inspiring women who break the cultural norm of the man of the house supplying the family income. This small group of entrepreneurs each has their own product/project that they work on and sell to Paycayitas and other surrounding communities. Their businesses provide the five women with their own income and an immense feeling of empowerment. Watching these women light up about their project made me feel incredibly empowered as well. Lindsey, one of the five women, shared with me that they receive a lot of criticism for starting their own business. She proclaimed in Spanish that, “The negative opinions are just more encouragement for us women to succeed."

As I write this on International Women’s Day I think about all the amazing women I have met this week. I think about Rosaria harvesting processing her own coffee, a family tradition she has kept for years. I think about how unfortunate it is that she puts so much integrity into her work, but lacks the ability to withstand the rapidly dropping price of coffee around the world. I think about Lindsey, the young entrepreneur who not only takes care of her family, and has time to follow her own dreams and make them into reality. I think about Johanna, my host mother, who welcomed me into her beautiful home with open arms. I think about the eight amazing women from Penn State who I get to share this experience with. I also think about the women in my life back home who have supported me in all my endeavors. And the men, like my fat

her, who help raise women into warriors.

Pura Vida,

Natalie