Tatiana Vargas Torres is one of the thousands of women who found in the tobacco industry a way to sustain themselves and grow professionally without neglecting their role as mothers. Alongside her husband at home, she cares for an eleven-year-old daughter and a two-year-old toddler; meanwhile, at Estelí Cigars, she is responsible for the final production of hundreds of cigars destined for the international market.
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For nine years, she has divided her mornings between household duties and the rolling table, leaving everything ready at home from Monday to Friday before heading out to work. Born in Matagalpa, she has lived for 17 years in Estelí –Nicaragua’s tobacco cradle– where she has put down roots among leaves and tragacanth.
At 24, Tatiana worked in a supermarket meat department, an occupation far from what she wanted for her household. “The money wasn’t enough, and truthfully, I didn’t like it much; that’s why I decided to go look for something else.”
That search led her to Estelí Cigars, where she learned the art of cigar rolling –specifically applying the capa (wrapper), the final detail of a quality piece. Securing a position as a rolera meant finding a refuge; in addition to a steady income, she enjoys the support of many people she considers family, and her labor is recognized –in a way– through every cigar sold on the international market.
In the factory, the work is generally divided between men and women: the men as boncheros (bunchers) and the women as roleras (rollers), working in teams under the leadership of Karen Berger, who inspires them by demonstrating that a woman can handle anything.
At first, Tatiana didn’t know what to do or how to handle a tobacco leaf, but after a couple of days, she grew accustomed to it; now, she cannot see herself doing anything else. “The presentation of the product depends on our work as rollers. It’s a great responsibility, but at the same time, a great satisfaction.”
Her apprenticeship began with the Toro format (6 inches, 52 ring gauge), primarily using Connecticut wrappers. Today, she possesses the skill to craft any cigar within the Karen Berger Cigars line, as well as the wide diversity of private labels produced in this factory for the world.
She recalls, “I spent three days standing next to those who already knew, just watching.” In her first position, she produced 150 pieces a day; now, she delivers nearly 500 cigars in basic formats and almost 400 of the more complex ones, such as figurados or double-wrappers.
Her priority is seeing her children succeed in life and giving them the opportunities she didn’t have as a girl. “And there we go, walking forward, with a small house that came from this job and my husband’s, and many more satisfactions.”
More than content and at peace working at Estelí Cigars, Tatiana has been an active advocate for more women joining the tobacco industry –especially in roles like hers at the rolling tables, where she has found the stability necessary to support her family and grow.
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