El sol sale para Zenaida | The Sun Rises for Zenaida
By Antelma Espejel• Read in English
El sol sale para Zenaida
Tamales, barbacoa, mole, tacos y otros productos de Oaxaca son parte de la oferta que esta emprendedora mexicana ofrece a clientes en redes sociales, por llamadas o por mensaje de texto.
Hace cinco años Zenaida es beneficiaria de Grameen America, y hace tres del programa Grameen Promotoras. Viene del estado de Oaxaca, en México, tiene 42 años, está casada y tiene 3 hijos, de 22, 17 y 7 años respectivamente.
El dinero que recibió de Grameen America le permitió en la primavera de 2016 abrir un negocio de venta para el que ella misma prepara comida mexicana originaria de Oaxaca, como tamales, barbacoa, mole y tacos. Es un trabajo al que dedica alrededor de unas seis a ocho horas diarias. Ella misma recolecta todos los ingredientes para cocinar.
Tiene muchos clientes. “(Su comida mexicana del estado de Oaxaca) tiene buena sazón”, le comentan ellos.
Zenaida le hace saber a sus clientes qué día y qué comida venderá de distintas maneras. Promociona sus productos en sus redes sociales, hace llamadas telefónicas y envía mensajes de texto. Su negocio aún no tiene nombre pero ahora que ha vuelto a recibir órdenes de pedido para diferentes eventos dice que ha pensado en ponerle: “Antojitos mexicanos con sabor a Oaxaca”
“Estoy contenta de volver a vender. Estoy feliz de ver que todo regresa a la normalidad”, agrega.
CONCIENCIA DE SALUD
Zenaida cuenta que ser parte de Grameen Promotoras le ha permitido tomar conciencia de su salud. Sin contar con seguro médico ha conseguido citas médicas para evaluar su salud dental y ha podido hacerse chequeos para controlar su diabetes. Por esta enfermedad recibió el diagnóstico de un avanzado glaucoma que la ha amenazado con quitarle la visión de su ojo izquierdo.
“Al recibir la noticia me puse muy triste”, me dice.
Sin embargo, las promotoras rápidamente la ayudaron a agendar su cita para chequear su visión. Ellos la derivaron a nuevos especialistas donde Zenaida ha podido acceder gratis a medicamentos de costo elevado y hasta a una operación.
“Estoy muy contenta”, agrega.
Su ejemplo hizo que su familia también se preocupara por su salud. Al compartir información sobre el tratamiento que estaba siguiendo, Zenaida cuenta que su esposo y su tío se animaron a conseguir citas para chequear su visión, donde obtuvieron sus lentes gratis.
“Estoy agradecida de los doctores”, dice Zenaida. “Han sido muy buenos con nosotros”. También de las promotoras: ““Siempre están ofreciendo ayuda”.
SALIR ADELANTE, PENSAR POSITIVO
Zenaida confiesa que la pandemia ha sido muy difícil para todos en su hogar. “Ha afectado mucho a mi familia, en particular a mi esposo y a mí”, dice triste.
El 18 de febrero de 2021 perdió a su mamá quien sufría de la diabetes y no pudo ir a México a despedirla para su funeral. Ella iba a cumplir 86 años. “Es algo que aún me duele mucho”, dice. Esta pérdida se sumaba a la muerte de su suegra el pasado 24 de marzo del 2020, y tiempo después a la de una tía cercana.
“Ahora más que nunca entiendo a mi esposo en este dolor tan grande. No pudimos despedirnos de ninguna de ellas y sus cuerpos fueron quemados”, dice Zenaida, entre lágrimas.
Recuerda también el miedo de perder el trabajo. Los ha perseguido por meses a ella y a su marido, quien trabajaba a cargo del mantenimiento y limpieza de un restaurante.
“Durante la pandemia no había trabajo. Aunque yo le decía a mi esposo que no fuera (a trabajar), él decía: ‘(necesitamos) aunque sea algo para comer’. En ese tiempo las calles de Nueva York estaban solas y tristes”, recuerda.
Hoy valora mucho más que antes la ayuda prestada por las promotoras. Le han sugerido lugares donde obtener comida gratis y le han dado soporte psicológico constante.
“Me han ayudado a manejar las emociones, a conocer más de diferentes temas a través de los talleres”, dice. “Me dan motivación y me ayudan con mi salud y con mi persona”. “Es algo que necesitamos todos y que pocos lo ofrecen”.
Por eso, a pesar de todos los obstáculos que ha tenido este último tiempo, Zenaida todavía tiene esperanza para un futuro mejor.
“A veces uno piensa: ‘ya no quiero seguir’. Pero luego piensa: ‘Debo salir adelante por mí y por mis hijos. Debo seguir y salir adelante. Debo seguir y pensar positivo”. “Yo sé que debo seguir pensando positivo. Hoy doy gracias a Dios porque tengo un techo donde vivir. Debo seguir adelante y seguir aprendiendo”, dice.
The Sun Rises for Zenaida
Tamales, barbacoa, mole, tacos and other Oaxacan products are part of the offer that this Mexican entrepreneur offers to clients using social media, phone calls, and text messages.
Zenaida has been a beneficiary of Grameen America for five years and the Grameen Promotoras Program for three years. She comes from the state of Oaxaca in Mexico, she is 42 years old, is married with three children aged 22, 17, and 7 years old respectively.
The money she received from Grameen America allowed her in the Spring of 2016 to open a business for which she prepares Mexican food typical from Oaxaca, such as tamales, barbacoa, mole and tacos. She dedicates around six to eight hours daily to this job. She collects all the ingredients for cooking herself.
She has a lot of customers. “(Her mexican food from Oaxaca state) has a good flavor,” her customers tell her.
Zenaida lets her customers know what day and what food she will sell in a variety of ways. She promotes her products through social media, phone calls, and text messages. Her business still does not have a name, but now that the food orders for different events are starting again, she has thought to name it “Antojitos mexicanos con sabor a Oaxaca.”
“I am glad to sell again. I am happy to see that everything returns to normal,” she adds.
HEALTH AWARENESS
Zenaida says that being part of Grameen Promotoras has allowed her to become aware of her health. Even though she does not have health insurance she has gotten medical appointments to evaluate her dental health, and has also been able to have check ups to control her diabetes. Because of this condition, she was diagnosed with advanced glaucoma that put her in danger of losing the vision in her left eye.
“When I received that news, I became very sad,” she told me.
However, the promotoras were quick to help her to schedule an appointment to check her vision. They referred her to new health specialists where Zenaida has been able to access high cost medicines for free and even a surgery.
“I’m very happy,” she adds.
Her example made her family think about their own health. By sharing information about the treatment that she was following, Zenaida says that her husband and uncle were encouraged to get appointments to check their vision and through this they have their glasses for free.
“I am grateful to the doctors,” says Zenaida “They have been very good to us. Also to the promotoras – they are always offering help.”
GO FORWARD, THINK POSITIVE
Zenaida confesses that the pandemic has been very difficult for everyone in her household.
“It has affected my family a lot, in particular my husband and I,” she says sadly.
On February 18, 2021, she lost her mother who suffered from diabetes and could not go to Mexico to see her off at her funeral. She was going to be 86 years old. “It is something that still hurts a lot,” she says. This loss was added to the death of her mother-in-law the past March 24, 2020, and later to the loss of a close aunt.
“Now more than ever I understand my husband in this great pain. We could not say goodbye to any of them and their bodies were burned,” Zenaida says through tears.
She also remembers the fear of losing their jobs, which has haunted her and her husband who worked in charge of the maintenance and cleaning of a restaurant, for months.
“During the pandemic there was no work. Even though I told my husband not to go (to work), he said: (We need) even something to eat. At that time the streets of New York were lonely and sad,” she recalls.
Today she values much more than before the help provided by the promotoras.They have suggested her places to get free food and have given her constant psychological support.
“They have helped me to manage my emotions, to learn more about different topics through workshops,” she says. They give me motivation and help with my health and with my personal life. It is something that we all need and that few others offer.”
For this reason, despite all the obstacles that she has had in recent times, Zenada still has hope for a better future.
“Sometimes you think: ‘I don’t want to go anymore.’ But then you think I must get ahead for myself and for my children. I must go ahead and get on with it. I must go on and think positive. I know that I must continue to think positive. Today I thank God that I have a roof to live under. I have to keep going and keep learning,” she says.
Written by Antelma Espejel, GP Promotora - Bronx
Antelma Espejel es originaria del municipio de Tulcingo de Valle Puebla, en México. Es madre de 4 hijos, seguidora de la música ranchera y su comida favorita son las enchiladas verdes mexicanas. Hace veinte años es líder comunitaria y hace dos años es promotora de salud en el Bronx.
Antelma Espejel is originally from the municipality of Tulcingo de Valle Puebla, in Mexico. She is the mother of 4 children, a fan of ranchera music and her favorite food is Mexican green enchiladas. For twenty years she has been a community leader and for two years she has been a promotora in the Bronx.
Grameen PrimaCare provides underserved women from low-income immigrant communities with a health promotion and empowerment program utilizing a promotora model to create healthier lives.