Gabriela is an undergraduate, studying for a degree in English. She has achieved this thanks to her mother, Marcela, a woman of 50 who has changed her life and that of her family over the last few years. Gabriela’s mother is a role model for her: financially independent and head of the family.
Marcela Aedo, female entrepreneur served by Fondo Esperanza, with her two children
Up to that moment, it didn’t matter how early Marcela got up, how much effort and how many sacrifices she made- she never managed to change her job. And her job prevented her from spending more time at home looking after her children, although it did not even pay all the bills. For years she had been living in the countryside with her family… but the countryside did not provide her with a living. One day she was given some beehives and she started beekeeping. Because of the pesticides used on the ground, there was very little honey. That, plus the asthma suffered by her children, led her to research about green farming methods. In Chile, just 0.1% of agricultural production comes from environment-friendly farming, according to the FiBL, Europe’s Organic Agriculture Research Institute.
If it weren’t for her determination to learn and grow, her eldest daughter would not be at university, the little ones would not be at school and she would not be in charge of her own life. Firstly as a beekeeper and later, when she decided to diversify her activities, with the support of the Foundation’s MFI in Chile. With the training she received from its School for Entrepreneurs, she learned how to get other types of businesses off the ground and gained confidence as she began to see that her efforts could make a real difference to her future and her family’s.
“Fondo Esperanza’s support has been really important for me and my family. It has allowed us to make our dreams come true and truly improve our lifestyle”, says this entrepreneur, referring to BBVA Microfinance Foundation’s institution in Chile.
There are many people like Marcela around the world: they play their part in bringing some of the Sustainable Development Goals to fruition, which aim to transform the planet. They are examples of how our entrepreneurs have become necessary drivers to move towards the better world we all aspire by 2030.
