Marisela is from the community Las Veguitas, which is a part of the La Dalia Network. She lives with her three daughers: Keyling, Kimara, and Jorlene (all between the ages of 16 and 22). Their family of four has been a part of the decades-old family business, which includes making rosquillas (doughtnuts), hojaldras (fried bread), and Nicaraguan rellenas (filled dumplings).
When Rainbow Network first arrived in Las Veguitas, Marisela and her family were selling their baked goods primarily to tour buses passing through the area; these sales barely turned a profit.
Despite their moderate success, the family still did not have enough money to expand the business, upgrade their housing, or send their children to school.
The family connected with Rainbow Network, and Marisela's girls were awarded scholarships from The Rainbow Network that allowed them to go to school and pursue a quality education. Shortly after, Rainbow Network established job training programs in the community, and Marisela obtained a loan for her business and underwent several classes to learn how to better manage and expand her family's business.
Using their profits and savings, the family expanded their farm and purchased several cows and hens, which multiplied each year. Marisela's daughters help her to manage the farm along with the family business.
The family started with orders from La Dalia, Matagalpa, Rancho Grande, and Waslala. Today, their family recipes and baked goods have traveled through Nicaragua and all the way to the United States.
The family can now enjoy a stable income and a comfortable life thanks to Marisela's efforts and their partnership with Rainbow Network. Marisela is perhaps most excited for her daughters to experience a quality education; Keyling is in her third year studying business administration, Jorlene is an agronomy engineer and works in El Tuma, and Kimara just graduated from high school.
The next step is to build a separate area just for the oven and production. Marisela plans to put a logo on their products and expand their market to other districts and -- why not? -- other countries.