Victoria struggled to provide for her daughter and grandson, but thanks to World Vision, she now runs her own chicken farm in El Salvador and has the chance for a better future.

July 2010

By Baltazar Sánchez Ventura, El Salvador. Edited by Meghan Bardwell, World Vision U.S.

Sunlight glints off chicken wire, landing on little yellow birds wandering the floor of a dirt pen in Renacer, El Salvador. A little boy stands by the pen’s edge and grins widely as he holds one of the birds.

The chance to hold a baby chicken would make any child smile, but for Walter and his grandmother Victoria, these birds mean more than fun — they mean a chance for a better life.

Before World Vision

Victoria Marin, a 51-year-old vibrant woman, is happy and thankful for what God has given her. She says her blessings include her daughter, 19-year-old Maryori Membreño, and her grandson Walter, who is 18 months old.

A few years ago, Victoria was striving to make a life for her daughter and grandson on a small and uncertain income. Selling candy and snacks on the street or door-to-door gave Victoria just enough to survive and reduced the time she could spend at home with Maryori and Walter.

Hardship, however, isn’t unfamiliar to Victoria. Abandoned and alone, she raised her daughter without the help of a father, and when Walter was born, she gained the responsibility of caring for another life. Her difficulties just kept her fighting for a chance to improve her circumstances.

“Ever since my [spouse] left me, I have been struggling to help my daughter Maryori get ahead in life. Today, she is a single mother, and we are both working together in the search of better opportunities in both our lives and our little boy’s,” says Victoria.

100 chickens

Such an opportunity came a few years ago in the form of chickens.

As part of a World Vision program aimed at improving lives in Renacer, Victoria received the gift of 100 chickens, along with the resources to feed and care for them. Now, her hard work with the chicken farm provides her with a steady income and source of food.

“Around every six weeks I get 100 chickens, which I sell for $1.35 per pound. It’s been a while since I don’t have to offer these to people, since my neighbors come by themselves to purchase, and stores ask for them directly,” she explains.

The growing popularity of Victoria’s chickens is giving her a chance to work for bigger goals. Last year, she took part in a training program from World Vision to learn more about operating and growing a small business.

After the training, the program gave the new entrepreneurs the option to apply for a fund. Victoria took advantage of the offer and now has 200 chickens to grow her business and support her family.

‘A blessing’

Gifts like the chickens that Victoria received are a vital part of World Vision’s work in El Salvador and other countries around the world. These types of gifts allow people struggling with poverty to become self-sufficient and build better lives for themselves and their families.

Donations to World Vision’s Gift Catalog have made these opportunities possible for people like Victoria. Now that Victoria works from her home, she can spend more time with her family.

“Thanks to God and kind-hearted people, my income is better now; I work at home by taking care of my grandson and chickens. It’s a blessing I’ve received,” Victoria says with feeling.

It’s a blessing that — with the help of World Vision’s supporters — other single mothers in El Salvador can receive.