A woman of Courage

There are two different types of entrepreneurs down here in Peru that I love. One is the kind that has actually used innovation to come up with something new and different. The women that I work with who have launched an innovative product are so great to help because they are  literally pioneers helping put Peruvian businesses on the map. The other kind of entrepreneurs I love working with are those who came up from absolutely nothing and have shown courage. That would be the case with Devora Guevara.
Devora grew up dirt poor on the hill tops of what is now the district of San Juan de Lurigancho. She showed me pictures of her early houses and they were literally made of straw and were no bigger than a typical living room. Devora at first followed the path of many poor Peruvian women and married at an early age. She had to find work in many different forms, including selling soda at busy intersections. She eventually separated from her husband and started changing her life. She began to sew clothes and sell them at local markets until she grew enough capital to rent out a stand at Gamarra in 2003. Gamarra is the largest market for clothes and other retail items in all of Peru. This picture above is at her market stand with clothes made at the factory located on the second floor of her new house. Her house is located on the same hilltops of San Juan de Lurigancho, but the neighborhood has drastically changed. The area has grown around her and many have been able to build more stable houses. As a political leader in her neighborhood as well, Devora is an inspiration to all those that know her.