A Day in the Life...of Elvia Patricia Minas
Written by Rexi
Elvia is 20 years old and since she was born she lives in the village of San Miguel Escobar, Sacatepéquez, together with her parents, and her 5 siblings – Reina (19), Luis (17), Rosario (15), Enma (13) and Rosalinda (10).
Tell me a little bit about your education and your time at school
I was 7 years old when I started going primary school. 12 years old I left school finishing the 6th grade of primary school. I did not want to continue going to school – I did not like it at all. I was always looking forward to the end of the classes, I hated mathematics.
I took the decision to learn being a seamstress. Since I was a child I was interested in clothes and how to make them by myself. One of my aunts made clothes for me. When I was a little girl my mom had a sewing machine at home, she made aprons by herself and I wanted to learn it as well when I was still a child.
So when I was 13 I started taking classes in Antigua at an academy. My dad helped me a lot focusing on the career that I wanted to study. He said: “Well, If you don’t want to study anymore at school and continue with basico then do what you want and learn the profession you wish – which was being a seamstress.
In 2004 I graduated from the academy after 3 years of studying. I learned how to make suits, clothes for women, children and babies. After graduating I started working from home, making clothes with the machine my mother already used. I made clothes for my family but I also started to sew clothes for neighbors who heard that I studied corte confección. In 2007, thanks to my dad, I got to know to Franklin Voorhes and his organization As Green As It Gets. My dad, who is a coffee farmer, was working with him already and introduced me to him.
Franklin wanted to help me to improve my seamstress business and offered me an opportunity to make handbags. I started with one design of a handbag made of typical Guatemalan textile. Once I sold that kind of design I continued with creating new designs using different styles of huipiles(traditional mayan blouse) and cortes(traditional mayan skirt) from different regions in Guatemala like San Juan Sacatepéquez, Chimaltenango, Tecpán, etc.
I am now almost 3 years in the business of making handbags and the portfolio of different designs is steadily growing. Recently I came up with a laptop bag. And I even exported some bags to the United States!
What do you think about your profession as a seamstress and artist?
I like it a lot. For me it was the right decision to focus on the career of a seamstress and the artisan work of making handbags. That’s exactly what I always wanted to do since I was a child. I want to work on new designs and hopefully I will have good sales.
Would you change anything in your life if you could?
I would choose exactly the same career path – corte confección – being a seamstress and artist. But I would spend more years at the academy because then I could learn more such as making wedding dresses and evening gowns. Being a professional fashion designer would be great, but I could not study longer as the academy is too expensive.
How do you spend your earnings from your work?
The last 3 years since I am working by myself I have helped my dad with my income to increase his coffee business, so he can buy and plant more coffee for his field. I also support my family to cover expenses for our house and food. What I am earning through the sales of my bags helps my family.
You never thought that you keep your income just for yourself?
No, I always thought about helping my family. I save a little bit for myself to buy some personal things but in the first place comes my family. When I was a child I got supported by my parents who made it possible for me to attend the academy to become a seamstress. They paid for my education and I always thought that when I am grown up I will help my family. I, as the oldest of all children in the family, think I have a lot of opportunity to support my dad.
What about your brothers and sisters? How do you get along with them?
(Elvia hesitates for a while)
When they were younger, as the oldest I had to take care of my brother and sisters. My mom went to Guatemala City to the market to sell the vegetables we are growing in our fields and it was my responsibility to do the housework; preparing the food, washing the clothes and bathing my siblings.
We were also playing together but sometimes they really bothered me and I just wanted them to leave me alone. Now as they have become older it is different. We sit together and spend time just chatting, especially with my sister Reina who is just one year younger than me with whom I am very close. We share a room since we were little girls, go to Antigua together and of course talk if one of us has a problem.
How does a typical day in your life look like?
I get up around 6:30 in the morning.
That’s pretty early!
Well, my parents usually are getting up around 5:00 to 6:00 and my mom then wake me up and tell me to get out of the bed a little bit faster. But sometimes I really don’t want to and I find it difficult to get up. We then have breakfast and I start cleaning the house whereas my brothers and sisters then go to school. My mom then cleans the kitchen and I do all the other rooms, making the beds and so on. After around 8:30 I start working on my sewing machine to make clothes and bags until it is time to prepare the lunch around 11:00. I help my mother to make the tortillas which is very time-consuming.
My dad comes back from the field in the early afternoon, my brothers and sisters come back from school and we have lunch together. Afterwards we clean up and I continue my work sewing bags, usually until the late evening. Twice a week I also work in a private household, cleaning the house and washing clothes and I also go to church three times a week in the afternoon.
When the coffee harvest starts everything is different. At that time of the year I am responsible for all the housework by myself because my mom helps my dad in the field to pick coffee. This busy time does not allow me to spend a lot of time at the sewing machine making my handbags, just in the evenings for a while if I am not too tired. The rest of the day I am occupied with preparing the food for my family, cleaning the house and I also help to process the picked coffee for example, depulpar(the process of removing the coffee fruit from the coffee bean which is done by a bicycle-powered machine) and selecting the dried coffee beans.
So what are you doing when you have some free time?
I always have something to do. The only resting time is actually when I have lunch with my family and I am chatting with my mom for a while after eating. It is difficult to have more leisure time. On Sundays I also teach one of my cousins how to sew and then I go to church.
What was the last movie you have seen in the cinema?
I have never been to a cinema!
What was the furthest journey you have ever made?
The furthest trip I have made was to Esquipulas* which is about a 5 hour bus ride from here. My family and I have been there several times. It is like a traditional family excursion we do almost every year. Last time I have been there was last year, this year we did not go. We usually stay for 2 days and visit the famous church there. A lot of Guatemalans visit this place**.
*town in the Guatemalan department of Chiquimula on the border with Honduras
** The town is famous for the Basilica of Esquipulas which houses the Shrine of the Black Christ. Every year, thousands of pilgrims from Guatemala, the United States, Europe and other Central American countries flock to pay homage to the dark wooden image of the crucified Christ, the most revered Catholic shrine in the region.
And what about guys?
I have a boyfriend, Manuel.
How did you meet him?
I met him at church. I knew him because he is also from San Miguel Escobar and he invited me to go with him to church with a group of young people. So we got to know each other better and he asked me if I want to be his girlfriend. We are together now for 3 ½ years.
How do you spend the time together?
He is working from Monday to Friday, doing some construction work outside the village. On Fridays he comes back home and we see each other going to church. After church we talk for a while and then I am going home.
What would happen if you invite him to your home?
That is not going to happen. Not yet! I still do not want to invite him to our house. My dad would not let him into the house anyway until we are about to marry each other.
What do you think about your country?
I like my country. It is very beautiful and we have a lot of traditions. I do not know the capital very well. I have been there just once but I liked it I think it is a pretty city.
Could you imagine living somewhere else? Maybe even another country?
I would like to live in the United States. Well, I am not sure, maybe not living there but travelling to the country.
Why the US?
I have seen things on the television. Places like Las Vegas and Los Angeles. I liked them and would like to see them.
Antigua is a very touristy place and a lot of foreigners are visiting this place or even live here. What do you think about the Gringos?
They are good people. They help the Guatemalans a lot. When they come, they are buying a lot of things and this helps the people living here. I like it that they come to our country which is very beautiful.
What are your aims for the future?
I want my business to grow so that I can support my dad, more sales and orders for my bags would be great and I want to have my own family and children.
What would it be if you get a free wish from a fairy?
I would ask for a nice house with a fridge and pretty furniture.
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