Yolanda is 22 years old and has a young son who is just beginning to take his first steps and say his first words. She works washing clothes in various households and is determined that, with the right support, she can move forward.

“Many families already know me—wherever someone needs laundry done, that’s where I go,” she says calmly. With her earnings, she provides food for her son.

Yolanda is a survivor of violence and recently received support from CARE Guatemala in the form of a one-time cash transfer designed to help survivors cover emergencies, feed their families, and meet some basic needs.

When she received the cash transfer, she knew exactly what to do: invest in what would provide stability and security. “I bought chicks, hens, a rooster… but also corn, soap, clothes for my son,” she says. Every quetzal became nourishment, warmth, and opportunity.

Yolanda is passionate about raising animals. For her, it holds value beyond income. “It has two advantages: if I face an emergency, I can sell a hen. And if I have nothing to eat, I just take one, and we have a meal,” she explains with conviction.

Yolanda’s dream is not a small one: she wants to keep raising animals, to have the resources to feed herself and her son with dignity, and to build a better future for him. “What I want most is for my son to be well, to never lack anything. I want him to have everything he needs to thrive.”

At CARE, we believe that when a woman has access to resources, she can transform her life and that of her family. Cash transfers provide immediate relief, but they also offer the power to plan, to choose, and to imagine new horizons.