Meet Elizabeth, VP of Marketing and Development
February 01, 2017 | Esperanza
Where is home for you?
I grew up in Kansas City and still consider it home. It’s a beautiful city with a vibrant arts and local food community, and some of the most down to earth people you’ll ever meet. Kansas Citians are entrepreneurs with huge hearts, and I’m grateful it’s the place I grew up and call home.
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Cristina Strengthens Batey Community with her Business
January 28, 2017 | Esperanza
In Batey Victoria, located outside of the city of San Pedro de Macoris, entrepreneur Cristina Santana makes a living by supplying pork to her neighbors. Batey Victoria, like the majority of Bateyes in the San Pedro vicinity, is surrounded by sugarcane fields and relatively isolated from the cities nearby. While this separation leads to various hardships, it also creates an opportunity for entrepreneurs to bridge the gap in the market created by isolation. Esperanza associate Cristina Santana is doing her part to bring necessities to her batey through a successful pork business.
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Florinda’s Story: The Value of Hard Work
January 20, 2017 | Esperanza
Florinda´s quiet, composed demeanor may seem unassuming, but the exuberant success of her breakfast empanada business is not something to be looked over. At 35 years old, with 4 children and a basic education, Florinda is the picture of a typical Esperanza associate. She began with a loan of $132 USD in 2010 which she used to purchase flour, cheese, meat, and oil for her small business selling food to community members. The great initial success helped Flor to realize that people really like her food!
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Maribel: A Mother, a Businesswoman, a Force for Change
January 14, 2017 | Esperanza
Wife, Mother, and Businesswoman
Maribel de Leon, age 43, has owned a colmado for over 20 years in Batey Higo Claro. Colmados are small shops that stock groceries and other necessities, and are common throughout the Dominican Republic.
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Breaking a Cycle…And Starting a Better One
January 07, 2017 | Annie Rose Ansley
A few weeks ago, I went to the field to interview and photograph clients, and I forgot my camera chip. Actually it was in my purse all along, but I didn’t realize until too late. So I arranged to go the next meeting, two weeks later, to follow up with the photos. Fast forward two weeks: I show up early on Thursday… only to find out the meeting was actually on Tuesday.
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“Why are all these men sitting around?”
December 24, 2016 | Annie Rose
When we visit the field, it is common to see groups of men lounging outside, either observing the women’s repayment meeting, sharing a drink, or talking. On almost every trip, someone inevitably asks why it seems like so many men have nothing to do.
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Businesswoman, Spiritual Leader…Milouse Inspires Us All
December 09, 2016 | Esperanza
Milouse Accilien is one of the businesswomen who have joined Esperanza’s programs in a community called Villa Linda (Pretty Villa) close to the capital Santo Domingo.
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Hoping for a Legacy of Service
December 02, 2016 | Esperanza
My family and I just returned from serving on a dental mission trip, November 4-12, in the Dominican Republic through Smiles for Life and Esperanza. To say that it was a great experience is only the tip of the iceberg.
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The Student Entrepreneur
November 10, 2016 | Esperanza
Associate Roberto Benjamin is in the business of selling clothes and perfumes in different communities. In low-income communities in the DR, it is very common for vendors to bring the product to their clients.
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Aunt Mireya
November 01, 2016 | Esperanza
Mireya Jean is the aunt of those two little girls. She is very close to her family and her favorite hobby is going to the river with all the kids playing around her.
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