Elida olivas
Elida Olivas is the owner of StoveTeam’s partner factory Avanza in Nicaragua. She purchased the factory from its original owners in 2019. This is the story of how Elida came to own the factory, in her own words (translated from Spanish).
My story began when I lived in a community called Casa Blanca, where my parents still live. They are humble farmers, a family with limited economic resources. I went to primary and secondary school there, but I had to travel 7 kilometers (4.5 miles) on a bicycle and whenever my bike was broken I would walk with my other classmates. Still, I managed to graduate from high school, but my parents had no resources to send me to university. I wanted to study so I applied for scholarships with many organizations, but it was impossible for me.
Elida delivering stoves
One day I decided to leave my community and start working, no matter what the job would be. I still wanted to study and I heard about classes and in an organization called ANIESCA. They needed a dance instructor and they hired me part-time and they paid me 1,000 córdobas ($28 USD) per month. Over half of the money went to pay for rent and food but I saved what I could for university. After a year I was promoted and began taking care of correspondence with 700 sponsored children with limited economic resources. I loved the job because I had been through the same situation. They did not pay me much, but I was able to help others while saving money to study.
Elida has designed some of the most beautiful Ecocina cookstoves, including this special tiled model.
In 2002, I was contacted by Dave De Jong from Friends of Families United. He asked me if I would help him with the Friends of Families United program, and I said yes. Dave helped me with a scholarship for college while I supported his program. I managed to obtain an agricultural engineering degree thanks to Dave’s support! In 2015 David talked to me about a project with StoveTeam and Rotary International who had the idea to build a factory in Esteli, Nicaragua to build ecological improved cookstoves. He caught my attention because it was related to my career, but he told me that he was only going to help in promotion and sales, and that the manager of the factory needed to be someone else.
We started looking for land to build the factory, which was quite difficult, but we managed to get it. Dave sent me the money, I bought the land, and we began building the factory. I knew Dave was taking a risk and not knowing if this business was going to be profitable or not. In May 2016, I left my job to start working with Friends of Families United full time. I was worried because nobody in the area knew about [StoveTeam’s Ecocina cookstove] yet, so I was going to have to promote it. I had left my job for a new business that might not work out, and I didn’t know if they would pay me a good salary since I had a 5-year-old son to feed. But I took the risk.
On June 13, 2016, Doña Nancy (founder of StoveTeam International) came to Nicaragua with a group of volunteers, and they presented us with the project.
Anibal Murcia (from StoveTeam’s partner factory E’Copan in Honduras) also came to show us how to build the stoves. They bought us equipment and we signed a contract with Friends of Families United. We spent 5 months with no sales, waiting to legalize the business, but I took that time to promote the stoves. It was a complete success in Estelí! People liked the stoves and they started to order them!
The goal was to sell 1,300 stoves, which seemed unattainable, but by February of the following year we had already met our goal.
In September of 2018, the factory manager was removed due to problems and I ran the factory for the following year. I began to direct and organize everything, and I tightened up operations. My husband had a job with a company that made rings for cigars, but they cut staff in October and he couldn’t find another job due to Nicaragua’s economic situation. I asked him if he would drive our factory’s delivery truck because I felt that I could not handle so many responsibilities, and he helped me without receiving a salary. When he found a job in 2019, I felt so happy because it would finally be a steady income for our family, and I thought about resigning from the factory because I felt so exhausted, but Dave told me that the factory probably couldn’t go on without me.
It was then that I found out Friends of Families United had decided to officially make me the new owner of the factory. I had no words, I was so excited and thankful that God was giving me back all the effort I had put in by letting me own my own business.
It currently costs me $500 USD per month to run the factory, for the next year and a half this money is given to a group of 16 women here in Nicaragua formed by Friends of Families United.
Elida demonstrating an Ecocina cookstove to a group of people in Las Hamacas, Nicaragua.
I have to work very hard but I thank God that I am creating my own business. I know that with the support of StoveTeam International our factory will get ahead. I am so grateful because ever since I have been with the factory, StoveTeam has never stopped supporting us.
These are the experiences that I had to go through to get to where I am today, it has cost me a lot, but all my suffering was worth it. I‘m thankful for David and the entire team of Friends of Families United for having confidence in me and selling me the factory, and I look forward to continuing my partnership with StoveTeam International. Even though I have only owned the factory for five months, I do it with transparency and enthusiasm to help others, and I will continue to do so.
Elida Olivas