Interview: She Didn’t Have Shoes, But Sabina Jaimes Never Lacked Motivation or Ideas – Dos Hermanos Grocery Store
We’d share a story about a unique woman who has an unbeatable resilience, dedication, discipline, but overall an unmatched faith and love for her family. Meet, Ms. Sabina Jaimes!
Originally from the beautiful country of Mexico, Ms. Sabina grew up with her parents plus eleven brothers and sisters in a small humble ranch town in Hidalgo Mexico. The name of the town is “El Sauz” which has an estimated 450 inhabitants, 240 being women and 210 of them men. 160 of these men and women are only children. 95% speak Spanish and the remaining 5% speak only their local dialect. This town was so small and undeveloped that people who lived there were not even aware of the existence of electricity or clean water. Their source of water came from a river where they routinely bathed and washed their garments and they cooked over firewood using utensils made from clay.
Sabina never went to school. She told us that the women in her ranch town did not think about learning, they focus on cooking, cleaning and eventually raising a family. The first time she ever wore shoes, and a brassiere was at the age of fifteen. It wasn't until she was required to do some math while living in the United States that she started teaching herself to read and write. Her father grew corn, beans and pumpkins, her mother raised chickens, turkeys, and pigs, but there was a lot of poverty.
Sabina was the eldest of the women in a family of 12 children. She had to help with the upbringing of her younger siblings since her father died at the age of 31. She was only 14-years old at the time her dad passed. At this point she starts taking over the responsibilities of the household while her mother goes to the fields to work so they have food to eat. Her two older brothers left to the United States to help the whole family by sending them money.
Below are some of the significant events in the timeline of Sabina’s journey:
Here are some of the significant events in the timeline of Sabina’s journey:
I968.- Sabina is born in El Sauz, Hidalgo in México.
1981.- Her father dies.
1981.- First time she wears shoes.
1983.- She has his first love experience.
1983. She gives birth to her first daughter.
1985.- She has her second daughter but before the child is born, her partner leaves and she never sees him again.
1986.- Despair, hunger and poverty pushed her out of her country leaving her children with her
Mother.
1986.- She finally finds a job through her two older brothers.
1987.- Her first job was as a room-maid at a motel.
1987.- Her second job was a home job. A relative of her employers tried to rape her, she
beats her aggressor and was fired.
1987.- She learns that President Reagan offers Amnesty Migration and Sabina without knowing how to read or write she impressively gathers all she needs, fills out all the necessary documents, and waits eagerly for her daughters for which she lives worried about every day.
1987.- She lives with her brothers, but she feels uncomfortable because they are only men, who also happen to drink excessively.
1988.- Met her current partner and started living together.
1989.- A friend invites them to work at Peterson GA, and they move to work in the state of Georgia.
1991.- She receives her Resident card and runs for her children to Mexico as soon as possible. She is eager to have them with her once again and is all she can think about.
1992.- Sabina and her partner got the money to open their own tortilla shop. A great achievement! They were immensely proud.
1993.- Sabina has an accident with the tortilla machine. She loses two fingers, but somehow finds the strength to continue working.
1999.- By this time, her partner Gabriel Chavez and she have had three more children together. Slowly but surely, they were bringing in their family, their mother, their stepfather and all their siblings from Mexico.
2000.- She opens her shop "Dos Hermanos" and a food truck that she drives to the agricultural fields where Gabriel her partner works.
2003.- She gives birth to one more daughter. All her children have gotten an education and have been provided a stable upbringing.
2020.- Sabina her partner and a few of her children contract COVID-19 but she's the only one that had to be hospitalized, but fully recovers.
As we mentioned at the beginning of Sabina’s story, her unbeatable resilience, discipline but more than anything her love for her family were the motivations she needed. It didn’t matter that she had no shoes or food, she kept on growing her business and loving her family.
Sabina told us "I don't think we're going to open another store, we're content, we've saved and invested in land and other properties. We want to work and enjoy what we have.
Now I know that wanting is power, just as I set out to learn how to write at the very least my first and last name plus numbers. We worked hard and saved money. I can already think and rest knowing that my children and grandchildren will never go hungry. I have manage my Store “Dos Hermanos” and my Tortillería and will continue to for as long as God will allow me to do this. I’m happy with my independence and having the peace of mind of not feeling someone managing my day and barking orders at me. I am more than happy the way I am."
That's how Mrs. Sabina Jaimes wraps up her conversation with us. A big thank you to her for opening the doors of her life. Best of wishes in all her endeavors, and may health and prosperity keep finding her!
Tienda Dos Hermanos
112 Railroad Avenue
Pearson, GA 31642