Despite having been a truck driver at the Sewell Pit for twelve years, there are times when Maria still stops to think. “Sometimes I still wonder where I am, how I got so far,” she says.

What is your job about?

I load ore and transport it to the Sewell Crushing Plant, where it is processed to obtain copper. In the truck we have a screen that indicates where we should go, which loader and if I should go to the crushing or to the dump, which is where we throw out waste, which is the material that is not useful.

How did you come to El Teniente?

I applied for a program called Mujer Minera, from SENCE, but as a jumbo operator (drilling equipment). We were the pioneers in the region and Codelco gave us the opportunity to apply for the company. There were 20 of us and 12 of us were selected.

That time I was looking for a job, because I have two children and the situation was difficult. I applied thinking that I wouldn't get the job, I didn't have much faith. It was 2012 and I was buying supplies to make ice cream and selling them at home, when they called me to tell me that I had been accepted and to show up the next day. I couldn't believe it, I was happy.

Before that, I worked in a packing plant, as a fruit sorter. So when I arrived here, everything was new. I like what I do, I get in the truck and forget about everything, I'm happy here. My truck is like my world, I love it.

What does it mean to you to be a woman in the mining industry?
Sometimes people ask me where I work and I say “up there” and they answer “oh in the kitchen, in the casinos.” They always associate women with working in the kitchen or cleaning and I tell them no, I drive trucks.

Despite the years I've been here, I still sometimes stop and think: Where am I? How did I get so far? I think that with perseverance, it's possible, and I teach my children the same. That's why I also tell women that if they have the opportunity, they should take it. If they have to do it a hundred times, they should do it, they should fight, because it's possible and they should never stop dreaming.

What have your children told you when they saw their mother who was a miner?

I have explained my work to them, I even showed the oldest one about the truck. They are very happy, they tell all their colleagues that I am here, they show photos, I make videos for them too so they can see. They are very happy. One time my brothers even came to see what I was doing and they were delighted.

What do you feel El Teniente has brought to your life?

It changed my life because I have been able to raise my children and my goal is for them to become professionals. I live with my parents, who are elderly, and I have also been able to help them.

What safety message would you give to your colleagues?

I have always said that if you don't feel capable, don't do something. If you see that a classmate is doing something wrong, tell them. Because everyone in the house is waiting for us and it would be terrible if one day someone didn't come back. So, if you don't feel capable, don't take risks, there are no superheroes here and we have to take care of ourselves. You have to know how to raise your hand and say I can't, because no one is going to judge you, on the contrary.

What does it mean to you to work for a company like Codelco, which delivers its surpluses to all Chileans?

I feel proud. Sometimes even the kids here say “ok, let’s get to work, we have to help build a school” and it’s nice to be a contribution to the country, to the people, and I hope we can continue doing it for a long time to come.