By María Rodriguez
HiExpat: Thank you very much for your time Mrs. Maria. We know, from your stories, that you are an exemplary mother and you have been able to overcome a lot with your children despite the adversities that have arisen in your life. This is why we would like to share a bit about your role as a mother with our readers. HiExpat magazine is a magazine focused on inspiring and informing those North Americans who want to come to invest or retire in Ecuador. Can you tell us a bit about your life as a mother?
Mrs. María: Being a mother has been one of the most wonderful things that has happened to me in my life, my family is everything to me. I have four beautiful children and a grandson, as well as my husband who has been my biggest supporter in recent years. Arriving in Ecuador has been a very difficult and long process. Leaving everything from my country and starting from scratch was very hard, but with effort and sacrifice I was able to do it. With humility, faith, and hard work I have been able to succeed with my family by my side.
HiExpat: We know that you are from Colombia and made the move to Ecuador with your family. Can you tell us a little about the process of adapting to a new country and the challenges you had to face as a migrant mother?
Mrs. María: Initially, it was very hard for both my children and I to make the move. In Colombia we had all our comforts and everything that we we
re accustomed to. When coming to Ecuador we had to start from scratch and build the life we wanted here. It cost us a lot to make this move but it was worth it for our whole family.
HiExpat: Starting from scratch in a new place is quite a challenge, and even more so when you have to be the breadwinner of a family. Could you tell us a little about how you have combined your role as a mother and provider? What challenges have you had to face over time?
Mrs. María: I never thought I'd be a mother and a father at the same time. I always believed that I would have my husband by my side and never imagined going through this move alone, but my children have been my strength to continue fighting. They have been the reason I have preserved and gotten ahead even in the darkest of days. At first it was very hard to get a job. There were many days that I couldn't find work, but I never lost faith in myself and in the love I feel for my children. They have b
een my greatest joy and biggest blessing, giving me the strength to show many people that women alone can get ahead.
HiExpat: Based on your personal experience, what recommendation or advice would you give to all those mothers who are going through this process of change, of adapting to a new culture, a new start, in search of a better quality of life for their children?
Mrs. María: You arrive blind to a new country. You never know what you are going to have to go through, but you have to have confidence in yourself and have faith that you will be able to achieve what you set out to do. I think about giving my children a better life and that is what motivates me to continue. It is never too late to start from scratch in life.
HiExpat: Finally, could you give us a message for all our readers, from your point of view as a migrant mother, what are the benefits of raising children in a country as biodiverse as Ecuador?
Mrs. María: One of the main benefits of Ecuador is free education. There are many opportunities here, although some people may not see them or do not know how to take advantage of them. As a person who has come here from another country I see Ecuador as a gold mine of opportunities, for not only myself but for my children as well.