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.

The large majority of Esperanza microloans are given to solidarity groups of five individuals using the joint-lending model.  Cristina was invited to join Esperanza when four women in her community were searching for a fifth group member, and knew that Cristina was a trustworthy entrepreneur.  Before working with Esperanza, Cristina sold small food items, such as bread and refreshments, to the working men in the batey.  Having only completed primary school up to the fifth grade, Kenia’s professional career options are limited. However, she successfully managed her small food stall by continually working, saving her money, investing it in new products, and selling them to her neighbors.

Now, with the opportunity to collect a microloan from Esperanza, Cristina has transformed her business and serves as a pork supplier for her neighborhood.  This transition allows her to put her acquired business skills to use while making higher profits and increasing her family’s income.  Cristina says that during the five years that she has been working with Esperanza, she has seen positive changes in her health, home, and community.  Cristina’s hope for the future is to continue growing her business through the support of Esperanza.