By Ian Haisley | Director of Online Strategy
As a widow with five children and 22 grand-children, Tulia Ledesma carried a heavy burden to support her extended family. Pursuing her talents as a seamstress with help from Opportunity, she now has a thriving sewing business. “I am head of the household – father and mother, grandmother and everything in between,” Tulia says, explaining she’s more of a mom than a grandmother to her growing brood. She has invested her most recent loan of $260 to purchase materials and a second sewing machine. “I taught myself,” she states proudly of her skills. Initially, Tulia made sheets, now she has the equipment to design and create full bedding sets. She has increased her profit to 40% of her daily sales by purchasing in bulk.
Tulia says she is not only prospering economically, she has also developed meaningful relationships with her loan officer and fellow Trust Group members. “We are very close in our group,” she says. “Very united.” Tulia’s business acumen and growing confidence have had a positive influence on the young women in her household. Two of her granddaughters have graduated from high school and plan to study business so they can achieve their dream to one day export their grandmother’s creations. On behalf of Tulia and thousands of other Colombian entrepreneurs like her, thank you for sharing in our celebration.
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