Some insist that youth is lost, and others, everyday more, say that all young people want to leave the country; however, Beatriz Mejías, recently graduated in Biology, enrolled in the Social Communication degree and, in addition, requested her self-employment license (TCP): she started an enterprise in Cuba that she has called MAR, the acronym for Manualidades, Artesanía y Reciclaje (Handcrafts, Crafts, and Recycling).

"It’s a project that works on the principle of collaboration with different artisans and producers, we combine ideas and create products together," she explained during the First Business Round of the Local Entrepreneurship of Havana for tourism.

About how she got to this idea she also told us: "Although she was studying,

she had always worked on this line of handcrafted products. I previously worked with the Fund as a representative of other brands, sells clerk or *stand* manager; as a result of the pandemic, I decided that I wanted to do my own project, my own products. I had the contacts, I liked management and MAR was born. I launched it on October 26^th, 2021."

Little by little different brands have joined in as well as events to promote their articles “based on recycling, ecology; natural products made with Cuban raw materials and, therefore, 100% Cuban," commented Beatriz, adding:

“Virtually all of us are women, including most female producers, and providers. I work with men too, of course, but almost all of us are women and we support each other, we guide each other to move forward and uphold what women are and, above all, Cuban women.”

And it’s just that some key elements for this 28-year-old girl are very clear.

One of them is that patriarchy and machismo are not going to stop her:

«It may be that there’s an idea within our culture that men are the ones who should run a business or the ones who should run a house, but many opportunities are really emerging and women are resurgent right now and are running many of the emerging ventures. I think you have to decide, consider the business you want to open and do it".

She is full of dreams and purposes, and giving up it’s not an option: «I’d like to travel, but for business, to bring raw materials to create my products, but my idea is not to leave Cuba, because here I really have a line of commerce that is practical, that works and that can succeed. You can't turn your back no matter how many setbacks you have: sometimes we can't find raw materials, maybe we don't get to be invited to events where we should participate, but we keep moving forward, it can be done.

«Why not achieve it in Cuba to make a difference and say: look, we young Cubans can have a business here; no matter how many difficulties we encounter, we can represent Cuba with our products; that’s why our items always bear the stamp “Made in Cuba”».

Translated by Amilkal Labañino / CubaSí Translation Staff