An invitation to a brighter future | Liz’s story

PARAGUAY – Liz Fretes is an experienced and talented artisan living in the outskirts of Asunción, Paraguay’s capital city. For 20 years, she’s practiced the craft of Ñandutí (“spider web”) pieces, a traditional Paraguayan lace.

Liz would sell her Ñandutí crafts, but it didn’t bring in enough money to provide for her family as a single mother, including her daughters, grandchildren (one of whom is pictured above), and her elderly father. She would take on odd jobs—cleaning homes and selling goods on the street—to try and make ends meet, but she couldn’t leave her children alone for long and paying for childcare was impossible.

When a doctor diagnosed one of her children with asthma, Liz’s money problems only worsened. Determined to get the necessary medication, Liz took on more physically demanding work despite her chronic back pain—sacrificing her own health to preserve her child’s. “There was no other option,” she remembers.

Then one day in 2023, Liz noticed a friend had posted a photo on WhatsApp showing some hand-decorated shoes. Liz asked about them and discovered that her friend had learned to make them through a vocational training class from Diaconía, HOPE International’s partner in Paraguay.

Intrigued, Liz accepted her friend’s invitation to try the class for herself. “From there, I didn’t stop. I attended all the classes,” she says.

Through Diaconía’s training, Liz sharpened her business and crafting skills. She learned how to use her traditional embroidery and other decorative details to add value to shoes, bags, candles, and seasonal products.

Liz shares that the vocational classes’ rhythms of prayer and Scripture reading also impacted her. “Since starting classes and always beginning by thanking the Lord, you feel good. You feel at peace within the group.” Liz quotes Psalm 23 as a Scripture that has particularly shaped her: “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.”

After securing her first business loan of $154 (U.S.) from Diaconía, Liz stocked up on crafting materials—leather, shoes, fabric, and beads—for the first time. This simple shift meant she could finally prepare for busy shopping seasons instead of scrambling to buy supplies at the last minute. As her crafting business grew, her community started to notice. “People really value craftsmanship,” Liz says. “In every season, I sell everything I make.”

This shift had ripple effects at home, too. Liz’s income became more consistent, making it easier to pay for her children’s education and cover medical costs. She also got to spend more time at home with her family since she no longer needed the physically demanding odd jobs she used to pick up.

“My children no longer have to wait until the end of the month. Money comes in before that.”

Through Diaconía, Liz says she’s also learned the importance of generosity. Before, she would give expecting to receive in return, but now “I give for the sake of giving.” “If I have one kilo of sugar, I can give it to someone else. … giving brings blessings.”

In the future, Liz hopes to use further loans to build a small, dedicated workspace in her home—where she can create without interruption. And she feels strongly that with God’s help, she’ll achieve it! “I feel capable,” she says. “Being an entrepreneur makes me feel strong.”

Homes for HOPE connects the building industry to the work
of HOPE International in underserved communities around the world.