By Miguel Álvarez
A Coruña, Spain (EFE).– A young woman from Galicia in northwest Spain has made history by becoming the first person with Down syndrome to open a store in the country, expanding her successful online jewelry brand into a brick-and-mortar outlet.
In 2018, Carmen Álvarez Rodríguez, born in 2001 in A Coruña, created a jewelry brand called Carmelamola with the of her parents, Ana and Manuel.
The brand’s online success was so great that Carmela, as she like to be called, became a self-employed entrepreneur at the age of 18.
A few months ago, she saw an opportunity to realize her dream of opening a physical shop to showcase her creations.
“I am very happy,” says Carmela, who is working with her parents to finalize her new shop in A Coruña’s popular San Agustín market, which will open on Dec 12.
From a young age, Carmela developed a ion for making jewelry as part of an effort to improve her fine motor skills.
She crafts earrings, necklaces, and bracelets while enjoying music and radio programs, often listening to reggaeton.
“Carmela is the first person with Down syndrome in Spain to open a shop,” says her mother, Ana Rodríguez.
While no other similar cases exist in Europe, there are at least two such businesses in the Americas, the mother pointed out.
In addition to her online store, Carmela has expanded her reach by selling at various markets and gaining a loyal customer base.
“We hope the shop succeeds so that Carmela can hire more people,” says her father, Manuel Álvarez. EFE
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