With our partner Grameen America, Supplier Alliance for Microcredit donors Seventh Generation, Papyrus-Recycled Greetings, shoe vendor SR Max and Whole Foods Market Boston-area team members visited clients during an extraordinary day!
Grameen America staff, Whole Foods Market team members, Donors Papyrus-Recycled Greetings, Seventh Generation, SR Max, WPF’s Roxana and microcredit clients Raisa, Carmen, Dulce, Maria Jose and Mireya.
We were able to meet ten empowered businesswomen like Damaris who runs her neighborhood restaurant that grew out of a food catering business she ran in her home for 12 years, serving typical Dominican Republic cuisine to neighbors and friends. With her first loan she bought food and repaired her van that had been prone to breakdowns. With her second microloan, Damaris took a leap and starting renting the restaurant space. She says “each day is a new dream that can have its challenges” and that the community has supported her business so “every day is better and better.”
Damaris with her employees in the kitchen
Damaris started with three employees and now she employs five women. Her fifth loan cycle has just begun, and Damaris will soon purchase a steam table for $2,000, because she uses every loan to invest in her business. Her next plan is to introduce healthier food and improve the display cases that show her clients the day’s menu.
Grameen America staff, WPF Joy Stoddard, microcredit client Damaris, Seventh Generation Kristin Gonzalez, Papyrus-Recycled Greetings David Sugerik, SR Max Patrick Kubris and his wife Stacey Kubris, and microcredit client Maria.