Victoria Nicolasa Mendoza Mamani has been part of the workshops for 10 years and is a leader in her local Methodist church. She makes and sells shawls and skirts thanks to the skills she learned in federation workshops. Making clothes for herself and her family is cheaper than buying clothes, she said.

“These workshops have been very helpful for me. These workshops have been a big support for all of us,” Mamani said. “We also share our knowledge back in our local churches and support others with these trainings.”

Now she works to increase participation in the workshops because she wants more women to gain the skills and confidence she has gained as part of FEFEME and the Methodist Church. It’s a chance for women to earn a livelihood but also learn their worth.

Alano agrees.

“The improvement to my self-esteem has been very helpful for me, and it also improved my relationship with my husband because in the past I used to think that I was less than him,” she said. “The workshops have helped me provide support to my home and have taught me that I can do many things and that I can be a better person every day.”

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This episode originally appeared in the March/April 2021 issue of response, the award winning magazine from United Methodist Women.

Visit www.UnitedMethodistWomen.org to find out more.