Teresa Lopez Tzul

    Teresa was born on August 31st, 1951 in Guatemala, the eldest daughter of Elena and Lorenzo Lopez's eight children (four girls, four boys). At a very young age, she found that she needed to work hard for what she wanted in life. She attended elementary school but could not further her studies since she had to help her mother with the household chores. In order to make money for the family, Teresa made and sold tortillas.

    In 1963, Teresa met Osvaldo Hogan, a teacher from Stann Creek, who had traveled to Guatemala to teach both English and Spanish. After a brief courtship, they were married and together the couple had two children: Alicia and Osvaldo. Soon after the birth of her children, the family paid a short visit to Belize in order to meet her husband's family. Deciding to make Belize their new home, Teresa only returned to Guatemala to pick up her family's belongings. Once settled in Dangriga, she concentrated on taking care of her children and her household.

    Tragically, her husband died in a terrible electrical accident. Soon after, Teresa met Paisano Hajara. She and her new mate traveled around the country, getting to know all the districts of Belize. Eventually her travels led her to San Pedro where Teresa and Paisano decided to make their life. Together the couple had two children: Niamat and Abdunasser. Living on the island she discovered that the residents rarely, if ever, left Ambergris Caye. Teresa found this offered a lucrative opportunity, so she traveled to Belize to buy clothes and brought them back to the island to sell. Personal problems forced Teresa to leave Paisano and return to Guatemala for a couple of years, but in the short amount of time she was there, she realized that she could no longer live in her home country.

    Teresa returned to San Pedro Town and within a few months met the man with whom she hoped to grow old, Don Jesus Tzul. Following two years of courtship, they were married and together they had four children: Jesus, Moises, Anastacio and Irvin. When Don Jesus lost his job as a gas station attendant, he was given a small compensation, which they used to open a small restaurant called "Yasmin". Located on the lower floor of a two-story building, the house emitted wonderful smells that spread throughout the small island. "I used to sell tamales for 50 cents and empanades for 10 cents," Teresa fondly remembers. Eventually, she expanded her business and sold burgers, rice and beans, enchiladas and other delicacies. "I used to make seven to ten dollars a day, and in those times, that was a lot of money," she recalls. Her children all grew up enjoying the wonderful island life. "Back then, there was not much to do, so all they did was fish and swim in the sea. They did that more often then, than they do now," she explained.

    After working so hard for many years, the couple made the decision to close the restaurant. Teresa, however, still cooked for men who had left their families behind and came to the island to find jobs as construction workers. Teresa and Don Jesus then came up with a new enterprise, which required less work for them. They turned the lower flat of their home into rooms, which they rented out for seven dollars and fifty cents ($7.50) a week. The business eventually grew to house more rooms and as the years went by, the rent also increased. This apartment complex, now known as "Japon," was sold shortly after Don Jesus' death.

    Teresa then bought a piece of property, built a new home, and opened a small shop called, "The Snack Shop," where she sells candies and gum, sodas and beer. She still sells her empandas and tamales but only for special occasions. "I love it here," she says, "I do not think I could ever go back to Guatemala and live. This is my home and this is my children's home. I don't regret ever coming here, where life is easier."

    Looking for a better life for herself and her children, Teresa found it on the quaint island of Ambergris Caye. She worked hard to provide her family with the things she never had in her childhood. Instilling in them good work ethics and a good morals, Teresa Lopez Tzul is a prime example of the strong women in "Our Community."