A boat and a net are all that Greymaría needs to earn a living. The Dominican entrepreneur loves fishing. She always has, especially following a week-long fishing trip with her uncle when she was just 13 years old: “It was kind of a crazy experience. I’ve liked it ever since”.
He taught her to love an occupation which today is the main source of income for her and her family. She goes out to fish every day with her husband: they throw out a seine net, tighten it into a purse, and haul in its content of fish and shellfish. Then they repeat the process throughout the day until they have the catch they need.
Since she started in this craft, Greymaría has gradually been buying the equipment she needs to become more efficient: to bring in more fish in less time. To achieve this, the loans from Banco Adopem, BBVA Microfinance Foundation’s institution in the Dominican Republic, have been essential in helping her to develop her business. The economic support she has received, together with the determination to look after her family and prosper, were key factors in her progress: “What has driven me to work all these years has been my children”, she says.
In the Dominican Republic, the institution is supporting more than 200,000 low-income people so they can develop their productive activities and improve their standard of living. Greymaría is achieving this and hopes to continue doing so. In fact, when asked about her plans for the future, she is very clear: to open a large fishmongers’ store and, naturally, “never stop fishing”.
Laura G. Sáez, BBVAMF Communications
