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The girl who revolutionized gender roles in her community

When 17-year-old, Danea from Nicaragua decided to learn about agriculture, people in her community, questioned her interest in “a job for men.” However, despite the difficulties she has faced due to poverty, Danea is very strong and determined. 

“Those comments do not affect me because I believe I have learned more from the earth and land than I have learned from people,” comments the young farmer.

Two years ago, before joining SAT, Danea had aspirations similar to those of the majority of teenagers in her community, El Aguacatal. 

“Getting married and having children… that was the only thing I could hope for,” Danea recalls. 

But the range of possibilities and dreams opened for her when she joined SAT, a program lead by Fabretto Children’s Foundation that has transformed the lives of thousands of rural youth in Nicaragua through technical courses focused on the development of productive initiatives in order to improve their income and future opportunities.

“Farming has taught me to have hope and fight the fear of failure. That’s why I always say that women can achieve anything!”

At her young age, Danea has already become an agent of change and community leader. By sharing her story, the young entrepreneur has taken the challenge to motivate other girls to break role stereotypes and believe in themselves. Her leadership has already yielded results and has sparkle interest in agriculture among other rural teenage girls. “When I found out that my cousin, Isabel, had enrolled in SAT I felt very proud of her,” comments the young role model with a big smile.

Nicaragua faces great barriers in the education of young people especially in rural areas, where more than 40% of young people between the ages of 15 and 29 do not have access to education. At Fabretto, we firmly believe that access to quality education adapted to the rural context can break the cycle of poverty in which thousands of young people like Danea live in.

“Mother earth gives us life, that’s why we have to learn from her… I want to continue studying and give back to the earth because it has given me so much.”

Through Fabretto, Danea has benefited from technical assistance and resources that have allowed her to develop a garden in her home. Given the height and climate of the area, The Fabretto team has identified optimal conditions for the cultivation of strawberries in her new garden, a product in high demand which could significantly improve her two-dollar-a-day family income. Danea is excited to explore the strawberry market this year and continue to move forward in life.