When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. That's what Dahlia did!

• Her first job was as a sales person in a wet market, but that only lasted for 2 weeks.
• After that, she became a sidewalk vendor selling arroz caldo (rice soup).
• Not feeling satisfied there, she moved into more of a factory-environment, working at a multi-national firm in their sorting and packing area earning piece-rate wages. She found this job to be rather taxing physically as labor standards were not good, so she left after 6 months and became an assembler for auto-parts, for machinery that makes facial tissues, and then even worked for a little while as a loan collector (which she says is not a very happy job!)
• Ultimately, Dahlia didn't find what she was looking for, so she asked her sister for her thoughts, and her sister (Lorilai!) is working with us and recommended that Dahlia join the community.
• And the rest is history! ;)

Now that Dahlia has Archie, her dreams are more focused and center around providing a loving environment for him and giving him a good education.

• Dahlia admits that she's still young (lower 20s), so her first goal she says is to become financially stable, which includes properly caring for Archie. Then she'd like to be able to help her family and parents financially.
• She believes that earning a truly sustainable income will help her learn how to dream. For now, she says it's hard to dream about more than just taking care of basic needs for Archie and her family.
• When asked more about her dreams, she says, "Buy more products. Haha! That's my dream!" :)

Dahlia says, "I love the challenge of continually trying to improve."

• Unlike many of her peers, Dahlia lives with her husband, a 20-year old man who works as a bill collector, and Archie. This type of lifestyle is rather different in her community, as most "children" in Dahlia's situation would live with their parents. Her earnings go largely toward allowing her husband and her to live independently and support their newborn baby, Archie.
• Dahlia often works with Archie nearby, and sometimes her sister or mother watches over him or plays with him at her feet as she sews and works. She says that many jobs would not allow her this freedom and flexibility, and she's very thankful to be able to do two things she loves, at once! Sew and be with her family! :)