Minka Group

“Need is like a barrier that makes you bigger after you've jumped over it" is the phrase Gloria uses as she tells her story. When the company she worked for closed in 1991, she had no choice but to look for another source of income to provide economic stability for her family. With a young child at home, her husband's income was not sufficient to cover their expenses.

Gloria opened a business in the home of her mother, who supported her in this initiative. At first she simply sold items through the window. Ice cream treats were her first products, stored in Styrofoam coolers with dry ice because she had no freezer. Later, she was able to offer a wider range of items, and she converted the side area of her house into a small grocery store.

Gloria also received training in pastry making, with the dream of someday turning her business into a "Panadería & Pastelería Fina," a bakery offering high-quality bread, cakes and pastries. Currently, in addition to working in her shop, she offers custom-made cakes for all types of events: 15th-birthday celebrations, weddings, etc. She also provides advisory services to help people order buffet food and other needed items. This is her true passion, and she hopes one day to fulfill it, "but in the end, above all, it's a question of effort, right?" she says, concluding the interview with the smile of someone who knows that a dream combined with action can become reality.

Translated from Spanish by Patricia Linderman, Kiva Volunteer

“La necesidad es una valla que al ser saltada te hace más grande” es la frase que usó la Sra. Gloria al contar su historia. Cuando la empresa en la que ella trabajaba cerró allá por el año 1991, no le quedó más remedio que buscar otra fuente de ingresos que asegure la estabilidad económica de su familia, ya que teniendo un niño pequeño los ingresos de su esposo no eran los suficientes para cubrir con los gastos.
Abrió un negocio en casa de su madre, quien la apoyó con esta iniciativa, primero vendía a través de su ventana. Helados conservados en cajas de teknopor y hielo seco a falta de congeladora eran sus primeros productos, luego logró surtirse de diversos productos y acondicionar la parte lateral de su domicilio para una bodega.
La Sra. Gloria se capacitó en pastelería con el sueño de un día convertir su negocio en una “Panadería & Pastelería Fina” y es que además de atender en su bodega brinda los servicios de elaboración de tortas para todo tipo de eventos: Quince años, Matrimonios, etc. Donde también brinda asesoría para la contratación de bufetes y demás accesorios. Esta es su verdadera pasión y espera algún día hacerla realidad “pero al fin y al cabo es cuestión de esfuerzo ¿no?” termina la entrevista con una sonrisa de quien sabe que un sueño con acción se convierte en realidad.



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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