Elisa López: From Silence to a Collective Voice
How a young woman from the mountains of San Marcos found in SERES the spark to raise the voices of rural women in Guatemala.
Elisa participating alongside the SERES Leaders Network at Impact Marathon Guatemala in El Amate.
A Story Rooted Among Coffee Fields
San Marcos, Guatemala, is fertile ground for volcanoes, mist…and female talent. Elisa López Matul, now 21, grew up here in a context where women often listen more than they speak. Known for her perseverance, Elisa avoided the spotlight: fear of making mistakes, being judged, and—especially—speaking in public kept her quiet.
The Encounter That Broke Barriers
In 2023, an invitation to SERES’ Catalizadores program changed everything. Over ten days of hands‑on learning, Elisa saw herself reflected in other Indigenous young women facing similar challenges. Through trust‑building activities, dialogue circles, and inclusive leadership methodologies, she discovered that:
Her voice had value.
Fear could transform into creative energy.
Rural women are protagonists, not spectators, of change.
“SERES taught me that the first step to change my community was believing my voice matters.”
From Participant to Spokesperson
With guidance from SERES mentors, Elisa practiced public speaking, community‑problem analysis, and project management. Months later she presented a needs assessment of San Marcos’ youth: female unemployment, lack of safe spaces, and little say in local decisions. Her clarity convinced SERES to bring an ACTÍVATE program to San Marcos, mobilizing more than 60 young people—35 of them women—in its first edition.
Impact That Resonates
Female visibility: Elisa facilitated community forums where young women presented entrepreneurship and reforestation projects.
Family economy: She co‑runs, with her mother, a shaved‑ice and artisanal ice‑cream micro‑business that now employs two neighbors.
Support network: In just one year, she has organized four reading and leadership circles for girls aged 15–20, encouraging saving habits and higher education.
Local advocacy: Her testimony at the municipal council spurred the creation of a small technical‑scholarship fund for rural women.
Planting Change with Firm Roots
Elisa divides her time among university, the family business, and training new women leaders. Her mantra:
“Authentic leadership stands on humility and never forgetting where we come from.”
She knows challenges—machismo, limited resources, migration—persist, but now she can rally allies, negotiate, and keep the group motivated.
SERES doesn’t just offer workshops; it activates voices. When a rural woman discovers her power to speak and organize, she inspires others, energizes the local economy, and places women’s concerns on community agendas. Elisa proves that investing in female leadership yields social, economic, and environmental returns.
Join the Wave of Voices
Share this story to spotlight rural women.
Support the next Catalizadores program in Guatemala with a donation.
Connect SERES with schools, cooperatives, or businesses eager to advance gender equality and resilience in Guatemala’s highlands.
May more women like Elisa turn silence into leadership—and their communities into territories of opportunity.
