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Orbe | Honduras

Orbe | Honduras

Jul 30, 2023 | Featured News/ Events, Honduras, Women Stories

In the last quarter of 2022, Adelante, a WE partner since 2007, conducted a comprehensive needs assessment and risk analysis to determine the feasibility of supporting more underserved communities in Honduras. As a result, they have identified 3-4 regions they plan to serve in 2023 and 2024 – our renewed grant will support this endeavor.

Orbe, a remarkable entrepreneur who owns a thriving pulperia in Honduras has benefited greatly from the WE grant. Starting her business in 2018, she took five loans over the past five years, investing in supplies, kitchen appliances, and refurbishing the place. As a single mom, Orbe is determined to provide her daughters with a better life and to show them the rewards of hard work and determination.

During the pandemic, Orbe faced challenges with restricted operating hours, affecting her sales. However, with her daughters’ help as they grew older, her business improved. Offering delicious treats like savory baleadas, pastelitos de carne, desayunos, almuerzos, sopas, refrescos, and topogigios (sweet frozen popsicles), Orbe’s pulperia has become a popular spot. The Adelante board of directors paid her a visit and witnessed her pride in the enterprise’s success, a result of Adelante’s microloans that allowed her to expand her offerings.

Orbe’s inspiring story reflects the impact of microloans made possible by generous supporters like Women’s Empowerment International. Their ongoing assistance makes a meaningful difference in the lives of countless women and their families, empowering them to pursue their dreams and build prosperous futures.

About Adelante:

Honduras continues to be the poorest country in Central America, with over 70% of the population living in poverty. Thanks to WE, Adelante has been able to advance their mission to empower women in Honduras to achieve economic self-sufficiency. WE funding contributes to their microfinance loan pool for women starting and growing their businesses, along with trainings and program expansion.

Amparo | Honduras

Amparo | Honduras

Dec 14, 2022 | Featured News/ Events, Honduras, Our Impact Page, Women Stories

Amparo from Honduras

Empowering and encouraging other women

Amparo has lived in the Brisas del Sur neighborhood of Honduras for 50 years and has been baking bread most of her life. She is a newer microloan client of Adelante Foundation, a WE-funded grant partner. She has had her own business for seven years after working for others in their bakeries. She started as a packer in a bakery, working her way up to top baker. After 11 years of working for others, she decided to work for herself and was able to open her own bakery in 2015. She was determined to take this step and moved forward, and the profits are now better for her because it’s her own – and better, she confidently states – product.

In her business, she gets help from her sons, who are bakers now, too, just like her, continuing the tradition and growing the business as a family one. She has also hired someone from the local community to sell their products in the markets.

She learned about Adelante from a friend, who also participates in the loan program. With her loans, Amparo was able to build the roof on her bakery and buy equipment for the bread production, which enabled her to produce quality products in greater quantity. They now make an assortment of delicious breads and baked goods.

Amparo’s story is one of growth, courage, and empowerment, and she believes other women can create that story of success for themselves, too. To encourage other women, Amparo says, “Yes, you can do it! Us women can do it! And, we can do it on our own. We can get ahead and move forward.”

Merlin | Honduras

Merlin | Honduras

Mar 1, 2022 | Hispanic Heritage Month, Honduras, Our Impact Page

Meet Merlin from Honduras.

Merlin and her family live in a small city in a region on the northern coast of Honduras. The area is home to white sand beaches, rich birdlife, and lagoons. Although surrounded by natural beauty and wildlife, Merlin’s family has suffered in the wake of COVID-19.

Merlin has received 11 loans with WE Partner, Adelante, over the last five years. Her first loan of 3,000 Lempira ($122) in January 2016 provided inventory for her burgeoning pulperia (small grocery) business. With issues related to decreased demand combined with raw product supply challenges during the pandemic, she was forced to close the shop and pivot to focus on selling fish that her husband was able to catch from the sea. That helped them survive for the first year of the pandemic.

Since the quarantine mandates have been lifted, Merlin sought to reopen her store. Adelante provided her with 20,000 Lempira to re-open, and she is thrilled to have her livelihood back. Through her diligence and hard work, Merlin has been able to successfully pay off all scheduled installments. Merlin is 34 years old and has two children who both attend school.

Ana | Honduras

Ana | Honduras

Sep 17, 2018 | Honduras

Ana manages 2 businesses in Honduras.

As Ana Yadira Euceda can attest, sometimes a small business loan makes all the difference.

For Ana, a mother of four, a WE-funded microfinance loan enabled her to become a prosperous entrepreneur in her community in Honduras. Originally from San Pedro Sula, one of the largest cities in Honduras, she moved to La Esperanza when she married. She left school after sixth grade.

With her first small loan, issued by WE’s partner, Adelante Foundation, Ana built a school cafeteria for local kids, where she works mornings selling meals, drinks and snacks. A second loan for about $421 allowed Ana to start a second business selling homemade tamales at the local market in the afternoons.

Her life is busy but Ana says she’s grateful, not only for her business loans, but also for the chance to meet other hard working women. Through Adelante’s education program, Ana has learned how to interact in a group, speak publicly and build strong relationships with her clients.

Based on the success of her businesses, Ana now plans to apply for a larger individual loan as soon as her current loan is fully paid.