By Good Shepherd International Foundation
Wendy Amador Lagos, 39 years old, hails from the village of Germania, Tegucigalpa, in Honduras. Living with her mother and her sister, she has always had to take on a huge amount of responsibilities, supporting her elderly mother and helping raise her nephew. Juggling housework and the need to earn a living often left her feeling overwhelmed and exhausted.
But her life took an unexpected turn the day she heard about the Good Shepherd’s financial inclusion project. Sister Nidia introduced her and her sister to “Mujer, Levantate, y Anda” (Woman, Get Up and Walk): a microcredit and empowerment project offering interest-free loans, savings support, and business training. Wendy was one of the first twelve women to join the activities.
Before joining the project, Wendy and her sister already sold pastries and sweets, but had little capital to expand. Bank loans were difficult to access, often too expensive, and riskier due to high interest rates. With this new opportunity, Wendy received her first loan of 5,000 lempiras, interest-free and repayable in different instalments. She used it not only to invest in supplies but also began to build a more sustainable and successful business.
Over time, Wendy grew her small baking operation. She learned new techniques, recipes, and invested in equipment like an oven and a mixer. Even when she broke tools by wearing them out, she had savings – something she’d never believed possible – to replace them.
As her business grew, so did her visibility. Wendy began selling decorated cookies, especially during holidays and school events. Her sister helped her sell products on the street during the pandemic, and their success was such that they reached new customers all over the city. WhatsApp and social media brought in orders for special occasions: birthdays, baby showers, celebrations such as Christmas, Mother’s Day, or Saint Valentine’s Day.
With her earnings and savings, Wendy also made her home more comfortable: she installed a septic tank, improved her home’s roof, and built a more accessible bathroom for her mother. “Now,” she says, “if my mother gets sick, we can afford to take her to a doctor.”
Through workshops like the one by the GAM (Grupo de Autoayuda de Mujeres), Wendy learned the value of self-expression and resilience. She overcame shyness, learned to be confident when talking to customers, and even taught her nephews to save money with just a piggy bank and a few lempiras a day.
Her dream now? To open a storefront, in a visible location where her business can attract new clients – not hidden away but standing where everyone can see it.
First published in English here: www.gsif.it/storiesofchange/wendy-honduras
Photo courtesy of Good Shepherd International Foundation
