Small loans, big outcomes
Leonardo, a determined entrepreneur and beneficiary of our Ahmsa’s microcredit program
Leonardo’s home and workshop contains a jumbled collection of cardboard boxes, plastic bottles, and small glass containers. In his kitchen sits a massive bottle-sealing machine, which he bought thanks to a micro-credit loan from Ahmsa and the Rotary Club of Bogotá. Leonardo produces and sells soaps, cleaning materials, perfumes, and colognes to communities all over Colombia.
Leonardo and his bottle-sealing machine
As a boy, Leonardo and his family were displaced from their home by the armed conflict, and he wasn’t able to go to school. He taught himself how to read by watching movies on an old TV set and matching the subtitles with the dialogue.
Now, he supports his wife and child with his new business in La Florida, just outside of Bogotá. “The business is doing so well that I have run out of materials,” he admits. He will use another loan to purchase more raw materials so he can keep expanding his sales. He wants to thank all the supporters and donors of Ahmsa for making his new business possible.
Nelson Obanda
Nelson Ignacio Obando Parada, Co-founder, Megared cooperative
I’m 16 years old. I currently live with my dad, mom, and little sister in a house built by my paternal grandfather. If I were to describe my father, I would say that he is a very traditional person. He is hard working, but is often irresponsible with putting food on the table. There are days when there is no food in the house to eat, and he hardly worries. He and my mother often fight, and occasionally there is physical abuse.
I would say that ahmsa’s project has helped me a lot. It has made me think more about the future and has made me better myself more and more so that my children won’t have to live through the situation that I currently live in, so that I can have a better life, and have more economic stability. Before I became involved in the project, my future and my family’s future didn’t matter to me much, and I didn’t think about having my own business or my own income. I didn’t speak much with Milton (ahmsa field staff), who has helped me greatly and hasn’t let me regress. When I don’t have anything to eat or anyone to talk to, there he is helping me without expecting anything in return.
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