Luz Cerito Group

To call Carmen Ramires anything less than an artist would be a misnomer as she is a talented craftsman of jewelry. The bracelets, necklaces and earring sets that she makes are both unique and beautiful. While she has occasionally sold her products in the past, this is the first time that she is trying to truly scale up her efforts. She is moving her sporadically lucrative hobby to a developed business venture.

Carmen Ramires (far left) is a bright and engaging 50-year-old woman. She is both passionate and a true leader as evidenced by the fact that she is one of the coordinators of group Luz Cerito. Resting at the base of the tropical hills of the Los Alcarrizos barrio (community), La Pared, Carmen lives with her husband and two grown sons.

One of the main barriers that prevented Carmen from previously scaling up her work was lack of capital. She simply did not have the means to purchase the supplies she needed to make her jewelry. With this loan, she will be able to purchase these materials from a supplier in Santo Domingo, the capital, which is about an hour away from her home. Carmen plans to sell her jewelry from her house and her sister’s salon as she figures women who have just had their hair done will be feeling beautiful and will be more willing to purchase jewelry to complement their new style.

Carmen is excited about the opportunities that this loan will provide. She thinks it is wonderful that her hobby is becoming her profession and looks forward to a life that is more stable, tranquil, and peaceful. On behalf of Carmen Ramirez, the bank Luz Cerito, and the microfinance institute Esperanza International, thank you for providing opportunities to those who need them most.

This profile was written by Anne Cherniss, Esperanza International Summer Fellow ´09





About Group Loans
In a group loan, each member of the group receives an individual loan but is part of a group of individuals bound by a group guarantee. Under this arrangement, each member of the group supports one another and is responsible for paying back the loans of their fellow group members if someone is delinquent or defaults. Learn more

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