A Christmas Wish: Investing in the Future
It’s almost Christmas! Today’s Christmas Wish comes from Rafaela Leonidas Encarnación from Basima, Dominican Republic. Rafaela is the mother of an entrepreneurial family. With six children, Rafaela was always worried about making ends meet and feeding her family. She operated a small business in her village, selling various items to other community members, but the income generated from her business was not sufficient to meet her family’s needs.
That started to change when Rafaela joined a Plant With Purpose group where she received training in small business and financial management.
Now, Rafaela’s business is thriving, and her daughter has also set up her own successful business selling empanadas. The income her daughter generates not only supplements their household income, but it also makes Rafaela very proud of her daughter’s entrepreneurial spirit.
“Partnering with Plant With Purpose has been very good for my community and me,” Rafaela says. “Thanks to God’s providence and the business training received through Plant With Purpose’s workshops, my business has been more successful, I have been able to attract more customers, and my relationship with my family is stronger.”
This Christmas, consider giving the gift of opportunity to entrepreneurs like Rafaela and her daughter. Village savings and loans associations (VSLA) offer a safe venue to learn to save money, receive low-interest microloans, and take part in critical business training.
