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Juan is a very hard working man. He lives with his wife and 3-year-old son in the parish of Valle Hermoso, part of Santo Domingo de los Colorados, a very productive town which has tourism activity because of the hydrography in the area.
Juan works selling empanadas and corviques [fried savory snacks made of ground plantain]. He began with his business when he was very young. His beginnings were selling empanadas outside his house on a plastic table. He says that it was hard at the beginning because he felt a bit embarrassed since he had never gone out to sell anything. Later, it improved and he began to go around knocking on doors. As the years passed, he could save up and he bought a cart which he outfitted with a kitchen to be able to make his rounds more comfortably. Currently, Juan has worked some years in this business, a business which has been able to get his family ahead. He says that it is not an easy job since he, along with his wife, gets up at three in the morning to grate and grind the plantain, a very tiring job. Later, at six, Juan already is in the streets selling everything. He even does it on the weekends when there are events and he is contracted to make a bulk delivery.
Juan has never worked with loans in any institution. He says that he needs to purchase an industrial grater and a food processor to be able to grind the plantain, and in this way make his work a lot easier and save time. With the loan from Fundación Alternativa and the Kiva project, Juan will be able to purchase what he needs for his business. He is grateful for the help offered to the small business owners. He is sure that his business will grow and in the future he will be able to expand it and open more businesses with the help of his wife, and in addition, to be a source of work for those who need to improve themselves.
Translated from Spanish by Kiva volunteer Wendy H. View original language description.
