Adding to basket
Sonia is part of the communal bank "Las Estrellas" in the city of Temuco.
She has worked in the sale of groceries, firewood and charcoal for the past 4 years. She works Monday through Sunday from 7am until 11pm, and her business is located in her home.
She buys her merchandise in the city of Temuco and sometimes in the city of Concepcion in supermarkets or from distributors as these are places she can buy at low cost and it therefore makes sense economically.
With this loan she will buy firewood, potatoes, charcoal, drinks and vegetables to stock her business.
One of Sonia's goals is to continue with her business and add other provisions, in order to generate greater income and therefore improve her quality of life.
Sonia lives with her husband who works selling vegetables, her mother, and two children, one of whom is studying and one of whom is working. Her dreams are to fix up her apartment and change the doors of her business.
She is very happy and grateful for the opportunity provided by Fondo Esperanza, which has permitted her to invest in her business. Additionally she feels very comfortable with the company and other entrepreneurs that she has found in her communal bank group, as they share different activities and interests which serve as a nice distraction. As a result of the trainings she has received during the meetings she has learned to better manage her business.
Temuco is the capital of the region of Araucania. The city is located 670 kilometers to the south of Santiago (capital of Chile). It is surrounded by many lake resorts (Pucon, Villarrica) and has a lot of beautiful local floral and fauna in natural parks nearby. Additionally, this region is home to 50% of the country's Mapuche people (an indigenous community).
Translated from Spanish by Kiva volunteer anonymized. View original language description.
