Born in Moca, the capital of the Espaillat province –very close to Tamboril– in the Cibao region of the Dominican Republic, Diana Altagracia Jáquez had her first contact with tobacco in 2018 at the age of 22, when she began working as a stemmer (despalilladora) at the La Flor Dominicana factory.
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She recalls that it was difficult at first, “because you start fresh, and learning is part of a process.” But over time, she adapted and mastered the task, which allowed her to be promoted and enter the Quality Control department, where she currently works.
Today, she is also a student at the Tobacco School (Escuela de Tabaqueros) established in Tamboril by the National Institute of Technical Professional Vocational Training (INFOTEP), in alliance with the Association of Dominican Cigar Manufacturers (Procigar), with the aim of training a skilled workforce for the region’s industry.
Diana Altagracia says she decided to take the training course because it is an activity she truly enjoys. In fact, “back at La Flor Dominicana, whenever they held a small school session, I always joined. But unfortunately, there were situations where I had to drop out because, as you know, for one person to enter training, they have to move someone from their current post and hire another person. And many didn’t want to do that.”
But since she loves this craft and there are many female cigar makers at La Flor Dominicana, “I saw the opportunity to become one now, and I signed up for the courses. This position pays better, and I love learning how to make cigars. I say this is my calling… and I want to become one of the best.”
“To the young women who want to enter this industry, I would tell them to go for it. Learning is very good because you know where you are today, but you don’t know what situation you’ll be in tomorrow. Besides, learning new things and acquiring knowledge isn’t a burden; it’s very important because an opportunity can present itself at any moment, and you have to be prepared.”
Diana Altagracia is a smoker. She remembers trying her first cigar at the factory about five years ago. It was quite an experience; on that occasion, she felt a bit dizzy and had to drink some coffee, but she liked it. “Now I smoke normally, and it doesn’t cause me any problems.”
She also notes that, unlike before, there are more and more female smokers, and she considers Dominican tobacco to represent culture: “It is something wonderful because one lives it every day.”
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