Life story Deyra Quiñones
PROJECT VA0011
Contribution to comprehensive care and income generation for 150 families displaced from the urban area of the municipality of Cali.
Description:
Deyra is a 55-year-old woman, Afro-descendant, mother head of the household. She is a fighting, creative and enterprising artisan. She has experienced moments of anguish, sadness and lack, however day by day she is convinced that tomorrow is a better place and that she can get ahead with her charisma and faith in God. Every day she excels thanks to her knowledge of handicrafts and the sewing of padded lines, as she says “I do everything; I sing, I dance, I do theater, I do stretching and all kinds of Magüí handicrafts” her life passes between the theater, dance group and singing that she shares with other women who, like her, have had to experience moments of uncertainty and pain. She thinks that theater and singing have managed to give her confidence and that she has been able to leave shyness behind. Her baskets and other items that she weaves with her hands and creates every day in her imagination have helped not only her but also other women who, regardless of age, race, or preferences, teach them and hope that, like her, they find a better life in art. future.
I come from a town of Barbacoa (Nariño), called Magüi, bordered by the Patía, it is a mighty river, I remember that at that time I spent all my time fishing or hunting; mice, armadillo and all kinds of animals. It was not like now and in the city that is only chemical, there one fished and then ate the fresh fish. I remember the water, I always remember that one could wash clothes with a lot of water and it would run, it was not like here in the city where everything is measured and you have to wash with a little water.
I lived with my mother and my family who are also from Barbacoa, from the town of Magüí, we all hunted, we ate the animals we found, we got together. I got married and came here, then I separated, my mother drowned in Patía and I went back to Magüí, my husband was threatened because he had someone else and they told the paramilitaries and they started looking for him, he left and I thought that they were not going to say anything to me, but they began to ask about the woman and that they were going to kill us, my sister called me and told me "Deyra, get out of here", I had to take out only what I had in the hand, not even a spoon, which is the smallest thing and get out of there, they told me that they didn't even leave the roof of my house, everything, absolutely everything, was stolen.
It's painful because all my life I was there. So I started again and now I said how I am going to survive and I began to think about what my mother had taught me, the threads and sewing and I began to make my baskets, so I began to show and I met more artisans and now many They know me and I can get ahead.
Now I belong to a theater group of the Mask, I dance, sing and do my crafts, with my family I have supported myself and my children teach them and they also make belts and other crafts. Now my dream is to help other women, I don't care how old they are or the experience, I think that no one is born learned but rather comes to learn and I want to teach my art so that other people can get ahead like me.
I thank the OIM and Comfenalco for the project, for taking me into account and including me, they do not know how much they have helped me, I have my workshop and some machines but to make the lines I needed the sewing machine that they have given me in the project, as well as fabrics and material for my handicrafts that I sell every day. I thank you for listening to me, for teaching me, for being a better person, for overcoming problems, managing my business and so that I can help others to get ahead in the future.