Sometimes the first step to changing a life is simply starting over. Starting without fear, with strength. Starting from the certainty of being alive, supported, and facing an open future. For Floridalma, that new beginning came when she chose to break free from the cycle of violence.

She is 37 years old and has four children who are the center of her life. Living with her ex-partner meant years of constant anguish, silent illnesses, and days without food. The violence became such a heavy burden that she could barely recognize herself. “I didn’t know what to do,” she says. “I was always sick, very thin. I couldn’t eat because I was so worried.”

But one day, she decided to leave. And she wasn’t alone. Her family became the support system that helped her stand up again. With them, she found a network of care—food, rest, and above all, love. It was a return to herself.

Since then, she has transformed her daily life into a new way of sustaining herself. She grows cilantro and cabbage, raises native hens, and built her own chicken coop with metal sheets she purchased. She lovingly tends to her animals. She joined a CARE Guatemala cash transfer program, using the funds to buy chicks, feed, shoes for her daughters, and materials to strengthen her small poultry business. It became not only a source of income but also a path to autonomy.

“My dream is to have more animals, buy a piece of land, open a small store, and be with my daughters. I want them to be well,” she says firmly. She has learned that well-being is not a privilege; it is a right—and she is determined to defend it.

Floridalma has not forgotten her past, nor does she want to. She has chosen to speak out. She wants to share her experience with other women who are still living what she once endured—because she knows how hard it is to leave, but also that it is possible. “Not everyone can make that change quickly. Some are afraid. But if anyone asked me for support, I would share my story,” she says with conviction.

Now, she actively participates in workshops and community meetings. She has become an inspiring voice. She has found a way to live without fear—surrounded by her children, with growing projects, growing animals, and growing dreams.