Dalia Flores

    Dalia was born in El Salvador on January 6th, 1978 to Sonia and Juan Canek and grew up as a happy little girl playing marbles and football with her two brothers. Unfortunately, a civil war going on in the country forced many people to immigrate to other places in search of a more peaceful way of life.

    Dalia's parents first moved to Belize to "try their luck" and after settling down in 1986, Dalia and her siblings joined them. Moving to Belize City, she attended Calvary Temple Elementary and after graduating, enrolled at Nazarene High School. "Although there were difficult times, life in Belize was not as hard as life in El Salvador," she recalled.

    In order to pay for her schooling, Dalia's parents moved to Ambergris Caye while she remained in Belize City. On the island, her father worked as a tailor while her mother cleaned people's homes. To be close to her parents, Dalia commuted back and forth on the weekends and during holidays.

    After graduating from high school in June of 1995, Dalia joined her parents in San Pedro. Her mother had opened a small grocery store called "Seleni's" and Dalia helped to manage it until she found a job. Due to circumstances beyond her control, Dalia's mother had to move back to Belize City and Dalia remained in San Pedro to oversee the day- to-day operations of the shop. "It was very hard but with my boyfriend's help, I managed," she explained.

    On November 19th, 1995, Dalia joined her life in marriage with her high school sweetheart, Manuel Flores. Their love has produced two beautiful children: Manuel Jr. (4) and Danny Hilberto (8 months).

    Dalia and her husband worked very hard to "get ahead" and after two years, they were able to purchase a piece of land. They continued to save and in 1999, the couple built a small home with enough space to house their business. After moving to their new location, they changed the name to "Dalia's Store." "It is so wonderful to see what you can accomplish, after working so hard!" Dalia exclaimed.

    In time, Dalia and her husband expanded their shop and today they sell toys, school supplies, cosmetics, liquor and electronics, as well as a large selection of groceries. They are presently adding yet another section to their store which will include hardware items. "We have struggled year after year to get to where we are now. That is the lesson we will try to instill in our sons; nobody will ever hand anything to you, you have to work hard to get what you want in life," she stated.

    In her free time, Dalia enjoys spending time with her husband and two children. "We enjoy the beach a lot and since my son loves books, we read often," she ended.

    Dalia is the prime example of perseverance and determination. She knew what she wanted in life and struggled to get to where she is now. Not afraid of hard work, she strives to instill this wonderful quality in her children. Destined to succeed, Dalia Flores is a wonderful example of someone who lives to "be all that you can be" in "Our Community."