Milena started her first business – a juice shop – in her hometown of Palos Blancos, Bolivia. However, after a long illness and hospital stay, she lost all of her savings and found herself homeless, with two daughters to care for and only 70 bolivianos (about $10) to her name.
But Milena didn’t give up. Soon she was able to restart her business, thanks to a small loan from CRECER, one of Grameen Foundation’s microfinance partners. Her hard work, dedication and business skills once again paid off. Soon she was selling enough juice and milk to purchase two large refrigerators. The growth of her business continued, and Milena took out an additional loan to buy a refrigerated truck.
Today, Milena has plans to expand her business to the next town. She’s proud of her ability to create jobs to help others who are in need.
“For the future, I want my daughters to study, so they will not suffer as I did,” she says. ”I want to leave them a house or a business. And I want to always have something extra to help those in need.”
Grameen Foundation provides funding and services to organizations like CRECER, which helped Milena unlock her potential and set her on her path to success