Turning a Passion for Natural Foods into Jobs

In a small shop in Diriamba, Nicaragua, María Elena González Tam carefully seals a bottle of fresh tamarind pulp to add to her stock. The earthy aroma of natural concentrates fills the air as she works, adding to the expansive selection of 100% natural food products lining her shelves – from vinegar and soy sauce to vanilla and concentrate for natural soft drink flavours like the tamarind she just bottled.  

Today, María’s natural food products reach 36 distribution points across the Carazo department of Nicaragua, and her family business provides decent jobs to five people. However, her success has been a result of overcoming significant challenges faced along the way. 

Overcoming business constraints and traditional gender roles

María’s passion for crafting healthy food products led her to create the impressive family-run food products business, La Tía Chinita, in 2018. However, promoting her business and managing administrative tasks proved a challenge. María didn’t initially keep accounting or inventory records, had only basic knowledge of social media, and struggled to distribute her workload evenly among family members. 

Like many women entrepreneurs in Nicaragua, María faced additional barriers rooted in traditional gender roles that often restrict women’s participation in business. Household and caregiving responsibilities fell mainly on María, which limited the time she could devote to her venture. She also found it hard to trust herself and her ability to run the business when she first began her entrepreneurial journey. 

A changing tide

In 2022, María began receiving support from government institutions who provided her with retail spaces and training on production and administration. When she learned about MEDA’s Women’s Empowerment for Central America (WE4CA) project, funded by Global Affairs Canada, she was excited to take her business to the next level. 

WE4CA provided her with additional training in inventory management, finance, social media management, and workload distribution to grow her business and address the challenges she faced. She was also supported with access to commercial spaces where she could offer and promote her products nationwide, which strengthened her confidence and motivated her to improve the presentation of her products. Thanks to this support, María was able to create two new jobs in response to growing demand and gained greater control over her accounts and sales records, enabling her to make more informed decisions for the growth of her business. 

“These opportunities have helped me improve my business’s administrative processes and increase brand awareness at events such as ‘Nicaragua Emprende’ and the ‘Mercadito Navideño,’” says María. “These spaces are important for my business because they have helped me increase brand awareness and expand my customer base.” 

Creating more jobs and healthier food

María now has a more expansive distribution portfolio, reaching 36 distribution points, both in the capital and more widely across Nicaragua’s Carazo department. What started as a family business is now a source of employment for five people who fulfill different roles in the production and marketing of María’s products. Her success has also meant success for her employees and for local suppliers of the raw materials used in her products. 

“I have learned to trust my work and abilities to grow my company, improve my products and packaging, incorporate new products, and, most importantly, create jobs and provide for other families,” María shares. 

In her small shop, a big dream is growing. One day María dreams of having a single place where she can produce, package, and sell her products. She also hopes to further diversify her offering to meet the needs of more people in Nicaragua who are looking for healthy, natural foods without preservatives to contribute to her community.