Microloans empower Colombian parents

This is Maria Fanny Martinez. She was forced to leave her home country of Columbia along with all of her family and friends she had there because she could not find employment there. She moved to Venezuela where she worked in a sweatshop for several years. After working at the clothing factory for a long time she became a skilled seamstress. She told her daughter to come to Venezuela to work at the factory alongside her and learn to be a seamstress too.

With Maria and her daughter’s newly acquired skills, they moved back to Columbia. They took out a loan from Opportunity International for $2000 and used it to start up their own seamstress shop in Columbia. Today, both Maria and her daughter make a comfortable living doing contract work for large clothing companies. On top of that, Maria formed a trust group called the Unofficial Seamstress Organization. The group is made up of several seamstresses from the area. Whenever one of the member’s businesses is doing poorly, the other members of the group come together to help that person out.

The loans Maria and her daughter received from Opportunity International have not only improved the quality of their own lives, the loans have gone towards helping other women in the area as well. Maria’s story is an example of how the loans given out by Opportunity international not only help the clients they are given to, they help other members of the community, and help to make the whole country more sustainable. Maria is very happy with her life now. She feels good about her accomplishments and happy to be living again in Columbia. 

We want to thank you for your contributions to Opportunity International. Donors like you allow us to improve the lives of people living in the developing world. Your contributions have made a difference in the lives of many.