Regina Souza - Sewing | End Rural Poverty

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Regina Souza - Sewing

Dona Regina

Location: Suruacá
Challenges: No business experience, extremely poor, very limited education, few resources
Recent Success: Learned how to sew, succeeded in getting the moral support of her skeptical husband, learned to sell

Despite what may seem like insurmountable obstacles in her life, Regina Souza is a highly successful participant in the cCLEAR program. Through persistence, hard work, and most importantly, enthusiasm, she has made steady progress in setting up a sewing business.

Dona Regina (the term Dona is a title of respect in Portuguese) has faced many challenges in her life. Unable to complete school past the fifth grade), Dona Regina has worked as a domestic laborer, a farmer, and currently produces farinha flour with her husband. Twenty-five years old, she lives in unfurnished house recently provided by the government with her husband and three young children. Although Dona Regina seems shy and timid when you first meet her, her true courage is revealed in her determination to start her own business and improve her economic standing.

Dona Regina had dreamt of establishing her own crocheting and embroidery business and joined CEN's cCLEAR program to make this dream a reality. Eventually, she hopes to earn 500 Reais a month (about US$250), which is more than triple her current earnings. Getting started was the largest challenge that Dona Regina faced; when CEN started working with her in September last year, she had no sewing, knitting or embroidery experience, nor did she have the money to purchase basic supplies. Although CEN generally refrains from providing supplies to cCLEAR participants, an exception was made for Dona Regina and she received crochet and embroidery needles, some thread, and magazines on how to crochet.

A month later, Regina had taught herself to crochet and had started to make several sewing and needlework projects that she could sell. She had used ideas from the magazines and had also sought out the help and advice from seamstresses in the community. Regina made clear goals for herself and had selected to start by making small projects that were also readily marketable.

Since last fall, Regina has continued to make impressive progress toward establishing an independent sewing and needlework business. Regina is innovative in her product design and has a good sense of local market demands. Through her participation in cCLEAR, she has learned to keep accurate records of her earnings and expenses and how to price her products appropriately. She has also developed a new mindset that she can solve problems for herself, and the skills to do so. Currently, she is working with other cCLEAR participants to build a market stand that they can use to sell their products in other towns. When asked recently what she likes best about her participation in cCLEAR, Regina said she loves selling her products in the markets and enjoys the independence of earning her own money.