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Since 2008 my business Serigrafia de la Gringa had been operating in prisons in Guatemala providing dignified employment to incarcerated people. However, by 2021 the corrupt authorities of Guatemala had finally forced my social entrepreneurship out of prisons after my continued refusal to pay illegal commissions. Many incarcerated women who had worked honestly and whose families benefited financially and emotionally for many years were forced out of jobs. Many of the clients we had earned over the years were at risk of taking their business elsewhere. I felt like my life’s work of second opportunities had been destroyed. It was a devastating blow to me both professionally and personally.

In August of that same year I flew to Mexico to meet with close friends who also work in prison rehabilitation, Saskia Niño de Rivera and Daniela Ancira. They encouraged me during this difficult time and suggested starting my work again at least temporarily outside of prison for the benefit of formerly incarcerated people. They are a group who are also highly discriminated against for job opportunities. It sounded like a good option to continue my work of second opportunities, but I had no logistical idea how or the financial resources to recreate Serigrafia de la Gringa outside of prisons. Finding a suitable work site location, hiring and training of new people and the acquisition of suitable equipment literally meant starting over from the ground up.

Providing employment opportunities in prisons in Guatemala is not a profitable enterprise. All work related laws and rights must be adhered to just as they are outside of prison. Because incarcerated people cannot make receipts for the money they earn that is recognized as valid before the IRS, all earnings have a triple tax applied as they are considered net profit for tax purposes. I told my friends about my financial concerns and Saskia mentioned Give it 4ward, an organization she knew that supported social entrepreneurships like mine. She immediately called them and to my surprise not only did they immediately answer but they also showed real interest in helping me start over for the benefit of formerly incarcerated single mothers.

In January of 2022 my business, Serigrafia de la Gringa with the support of Give it 4ward established its first workshop outside of prison for the benefit of formerly incarcerated people, specifically single mothers. Serigrafia de la Gringa, now outside of prison has experienced its best year in sales and profit margins since its founding. In this first year alone a total of 18 people were directly impacted with an honest job, 12 of which are single mothers. Not only did these women benefit with an honest job opportunity, but because of Give it 4ward’s assistance they were able to take part in supporting their own local community, something that was impossible from prison. Each month our women donate to local charities or projects in their neighborhoods or help provide much needed assistance to their neighbors. The women that work for Serigrafia de la Gringa are able to choose who and specifically how they help their local community. This has empowered them so that they too can be a part of helping others in need as they were helped.

Give it 4ward’s support this last year has renewed and energized my hope and life’s purpose. Give it 4ward taught me to dream bigger. I always imagined that a fully social business would be a small business. As I dream bigger now I realize that may not be true. The growth we have experienced this year has helped me realize that not all endings mean the end of the story but the beginning of a new chapter. I feel just as passionate about this next chapter as I did for the last. One year in and this chapter with Give it 4ward is only beginning.