“It all started with Esperanza and I will never forget that.”
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Tomasa Garcia Vasquez, who likes to be called Marisol, lives with her husband and two of her three children. Marisol is very proud to say that her oldest daughter lives on her own and is attending university to become a teacher, studying hard to achieve her dreams. Marisol is grateful for the success of her business because she is able to buy things for her children and give them a good life. She is eternally grateful for Esperanza, because without the organization she would not be where she is today.

Marisol started her very small business by selling clothes. Ten years ago her aunt, who was an associate of Esperanza, saw that Marisol was struggling with her business so she brought her to an Esperanza bank meeting. That is how Marisol began with Esperanza and took out her first loan of about $175 US dollars. With the loans, Marisol was able to build a colmado, or corner store, and keep growing it into the grand business it is today. She still sells clothes, but her main focus is her colmado. With each loan, Marisol has been able to improve her store by building cement walls to replace the wood, buying more products, and even selling large jugs of water to her community.

Marisol’s favorite thing about Esperanza is the many complementary services; she received multiple cervical cancer screenings and has learned a lot through the health education lessons. Esperanza gives her a support system that she can lean on whenever times get tough. With her future loans she hopes to continue growing her colmado and prosper in life. Marisol has worked very hard and she will continue working hard because, as her mother taught her, “things are accomplished with lots of hard work and effort”.