Adding to basket
Naya belongs to the “Bethlehem” cooperative bank, located in the city of Valparaíso.
She dedicates herself to working as a street merchant, selling clothing for adults and children. She buys her products based on the time of year, or for an upcoming holiday. For example, in the summer she sells t-shirts and handbags. She also focuses on certain holidays: for Mother’s Day, she buys chocolates and women’s accessories; for Father’s Day, she buys men’s products; for birthdays, she buys toys; for Christmas, she buys all types of items to give as gifts.
She buys her merchandise in the city of Santiago, since she can obtain a greater variety of products there. Also, Naya likes to buy high-quality merchandise in order to keep her customers. Naya works Monday to Sunday from a location she has on the street. She has dedicated herself to this business for 30 years.
She will use the loan to buy socks, t-shirts, knitwear, and fleece for men, women and children, as these are the items she sells the most of during the winter season. Her goal is to move her business to an established site, as it is difficult to work on the street during summer and winter because of the hot and cold temperatures. Her motivation to continue working is her desire to help support her family.
Naya lives with her husband and 9-year old daughter. This family is currently going through a very painful time, due to the passing of Naya’s oldest son 6 months ago. Her dream is to provide a quality education for her daughter, and see her become a career professional. Naya is very thankful for access to credit and the support provided by Fondo Esperanza for carrying on with her enterprise. She finds the group’s meetings to be very pleasant, and serves as the Secretary of the management board.
Valparaíso is located 120 km northeast of Santiago. It is the regional capital, and also the seat of legislative power of the country. It is the first port in the nation, and offers a great variety of beautiful and picturesque areas such as the house of the poet Pablo Neruda, winner of the Nobel Prize.
Translated from Spanish. View original language description.
