Irma, a Rising leader
Creamos’ mission is to create long-term financial, emotional and educational opportunities for the local women and families in the community surrounding the Guatemala City Garbage Dump. Since 2018, Creamos has gradually grown from a community-based initiative, to a legally registered association. This progress would not be possible without taking the time to reflect on past successes, capitalizing on lessons learned, and staying attuned to the community’s ever-shifting challenges.
Since its inception, one of Creamos’ primary organizational goals has been sustainability through community leadership. Despite unimaginable obstacles, several women from the community have emerged as leaders in our organization, defying societal norms and committing to better futures for themselves, their families and colleagues. Creamos recognizes these women as the future leaders and directors of the organization.
Irma G. quickly rose to be one of these leaders. Three years ago, one of our participants in the program was losing her sight and could not complete a jewelry order for a loyal client. Irma anonymously handed in double the amount of jewelry that was asked of her in order to ensure that her companion would get paid, too. No matter how many hardships Irma has experienced at home, she’s always been one of the women we can rely on to support her peers and go the extra mile to complete orders.
In 2019, we appointed Irma as the leader of our newest initiatives, Wakami. Wakami is a Guatemalan company that has trained Creamos participants to produce large-scale orders in specific jewelry techniques. Leaders like Irma are responsible for the distribution and production of orders, facilitating skills trainings, organizing payments, and holding colleagues accountable for issues regarding quality and timeliness.
Although Irma was hesitant to accept this role in the beginning, she has thrived as a leader. She has been challenged to rise up in times when conflict resolution was needed, devised and implemented creative strategies to ensure orders are completed, and has fostered a culture of fairness and accountability. She advocates for other women when she sees injustice, setting clear behavioral expectations . Watching Irma interact with the group that she leads is inspiring, and the respect she has earned from the rest of the participants is indisputable.
Despite her innate leadership abilities, Irma is adamant that her primary responsibility is to be a mom. Irma is a single mother to six children, and she works tirelessly to ensure they have access to quality education as well as her support. Irma’s two daughters are following in her footsteps and working for Creamos while they continue to study. She uses her extra earnings from her leadership role to provide for her family and foster a nurturing environment in her home.
Our vision at Creamos is to cultivate leadership amongst our participants because we believe in them. We believe Creamos will one day be an organization that thrives due to the skills and leadership of its participants. Through leadership training, access to education and thoughtful hiring and promoting strategies, we know Irma’s story will soon be one of many.