2013

MID-YEAR

IMPACT

LEADING THE WAY TO A FUTURE WITH HOPE

Dear friends,

This year Esperanza has been blessed with the opportunity to continue providing people with resources that cultivate a deeper consciousness of their full potential. As I reflect on the success and lessons learned so far this year, I hope to stress that the monetary value of Esperanza’s loans is not what gives these women new-found confidence and self-reliance. As God’s children, our dignity and self-understanding is not something determined by relative wealth. The power of Esperanza’s loans is in what they allow these women to accomplish in terms of restored dignity, empowerment and a true sense of hope for their future.

Today in Esperanza’s communities in the Dominican Republic and Haiti, women are opening up small convenience stores, beauty salons, internet cafés and building their businesses from the ground up. They are learning sustainable business and saving strategies from their loan officers, and forming accountable relationships with fellow bank members. Most importantly, these women are setting examples of hard-work and determination for their children as they provide them with an improved living environment.

We are excited to see how Esperanza associates can utilize loans in the second half of this year, and are filled with sincere and immense gratitude for your support of these entrepreneurs!

Carlos Pimentel

President, Esperanza International

98% of all

loans are

repaid on

time!

FAMILIES SERVED

BY PLUS SERVICES

CHILDREN BEING

EDUCATED

HOMES BEING

STRENGTHENED

EXPLANATION OF IMPACT

Esperanza is looking to build a middle class in the Dominican Republic—an army

of economically sound citizens—that can be leveraged to lift up not just the

bottom poor of the Dominican Republic, but also the bottom poor of Haiti.

Esperanza’s holistic approach is providing microfinance, health and education to

those that often don’t have access to such services. By reaching underserved

populations, Esperanza is laying the foundation for a transformed Hispanolia to

enjoy an improved quality of life, and a material and spiritual future that is both

healthier, and wealthier!

thousand

INDIVIDUAL LOANS

PEOPLE CONSUMING

ESPERANZA WATER

STORY OF SUCCESS

Arelis’ story is genuinely remarkable. It serves as true testament to the holistic development Esperanza seeks to instill through microfinance--a transformation which soars far beyond economics, education and health. Though successful now, Arelis’ happiness was not achieved without substantial emotional battle. Reflecting over an especially dark period, Arelis’ memories are poignant. “Before, I didn’t spend time with anyone. I preferred to be in my house, alone. I was wounded and unhappy. I didn’t go to church, and I didn’t enjoy being around people,” she explained. “But the other women in my Bank of Esperanza have really helped me, along with the loan officer’s talks. The meetings always begin and end with prayer.” The element of spirituality introduced a turning point in Arelis’ life. With a growing sense of purpose, she began to transform into a woman with zeal for life. Today, her friends and neighbors testify that she is an entirely different woman! Arelis looks forward to biweekly repayment meetings and has begun to attend church services regularly. And yet her success does not stop there—her transformation has impacted her work, too! Once reserved and closed-off, Arelis now loves spending time with other people, and her warm approachability has gained her even more success with customers. A dedicated worker, Arelis previous sold shoes and accessories for five years in her neighborhood of La Raiz. Whenever Arelis received an order though, her friend would finance the order and they would then split the earnings. For a single mom of three children, these minimal earnings were insufficient in meeting her family’s needs. At a particularly low point, Arelis was forced to close her sales for two months. She vividly recalls the morning she hit rock bottom. Heartbroken, she woke up crying and left without a single peso to buy food for her children. “That had never happened before,” she reflects. “My daughter was sick. I didn’t know what to do, but I knew I had to start somewhere. As I got dressed, I felt something in my pocket. Two hundred pesos fell to the ground. Because of that miracle, I was able to buy food for the day, and medicine for my daughter.” Fortunately, Arelis soon met Esperanza. After Esperanza provided her with a $250 loan, she no longer needed to depend on her friend for up-front financial assistance and she had the ability and ambition to generate and keep all of her hard-earned profit. As a result of her determination in strengthening her business, Arelis attracted the attention of the women in her Bank of Esperanza AND a flock of new customers. She is now on her fourth loan, has grown her business and and proudly boasts that she has never missed a payment. Arelis also enjoys Esperanza’s complementary services, including free cervical exams and dental clinics. Arelis’ cervical exam revealed the beginning of a cyst, which was duly operated on to prevent cancer. Additionally just last week Arelis attended a Sonrisas de Esperanza dental clinic in her community where she received a teeth cleaning and checkup. Affected significantly by the positive change around her, Arelis dreams that one day she will have her own house and a store for shoes and clothing. “I won’t have to depend on anyone,” she asserts confidently. “If I need even 1 peso, I

Top photo: Esperanza associate Arelis

outside of her biweekly repayment

meeting.

Bottom photo: Arelis attending one of

Esperanza’s dental clinics