40 Women Improving Income through a Sweet Business

Gladys is 62 years old, a housewife, and a widow with 8 children. She lives in the rural settlement of Puesto Los Pérez, in the southern part of Tucumán Province, Argentina. She used to work as a domestic worker in a nearby town. Today, thanks to ACDI’s training programs, Gladys has her own business, as she learned everything she needed to produce and sell agro-food preserves with ACDI's support.

In the jam and preserves workshop, they learned proper production techniques, such as controlling the acidity of fruits using a pH tape, sterilizing jars before sealing, among other skills.

This is how she started her own business, along with two young women from the settlement, one of her granddaughters, and a neighbor. They currently sell jams and baked goods, both in their community and in nearby towns.

Additionally, with marketing training, they were able to design their own brand, which has helped them grow their sales.

Gladys is an example that it’s never too late to start something new and to keep learning. She is proof that we can achieve what we set our minds to.

"What are your dreams for the future?" we asked her. "I dream of having my own store for my business and selling my products. I want more people to know about what we do and to taste the flavor we achieve in our products."