3 Venezuelan girls help with at-home cheese business

Always happy together, Argeilys, Geilysmar and Genesis Lopez, four, are a great support for their parents, helping them to prepare packages of essential items for relatives in Venezuela. They also help with an at-home cheese delivery business.

The three sisters and their parents, Jeycel Rodriguez and Argelio Lopez, came to TT from Tucupita, three years ago.

Argeilys, seven, Geilysmar, six, and Genesis, four, were the main reasons why their parents decided to migrate to TT, looking for a better quality of life for them. They live in Five Rivers, Arouca.

The three girls were studying at a daycare in Arima, but it was too far away for them and due to the increase in taxi fares and school fees they were forced to stop their education.

However, their parents have spent as much time as possible teaching them at home while they wait for approval from government to allow migrant children to go to public schools.

Their mother, Jeycel, due to the high cost of daily care for her three daughters, has not been able to work constantly. She decided to do something to help her husband from home.

Sending parcels to Venezuela and selling Venezuelan white cheese to locals is what she does from her home.

Argeilys, Geilysmar and Genesis are her helpers. All three help measure the weight of the white cheese, label placement on the packages, or even phone contacts for product sales or shipping-related information.

“They are three responsible girls. They are always willing to help at home, they quickly understood our migrant status and have adapted to a new way of life here,” said Jeycel.

The three girls do more than help their mother. They also enjoy dancing.

“I really like to dance to all kinds of rhythms, that makes me very happy,” Argeilys told Newsday Kids.

She dances to Latin music, especially salsa, merengue and bachata.

“Before the start of the pandemic I was in the dance school at La Casita of Arima, but the classes stopped and since then I have not been able to return to my classes,” said Argeilys. She participated in various musical shows organised by La Casita, where she demonstrated her talent for dance.

Geilysmar is more into personal styling.

“I would like to be a stylist. I love makeup, nail art and hairstyles,” she said.

Every day, Geilysmar watches videos on the internet about styling, and when her studies are over and after she helps out at home, she practises how to apply makeup with her sisters and her mother.

Genesis is the singer of the Lopez family.

“I really like to sing, I always dedicate songs to my dad and he gives me hugs and kisses,” she said.

The three sisters make a great team, each with their own tastes, but always willing to help at home.