Years ago, Rosa Ancco was convinced that she would never overcome her husband’s death, a crisis that left her hollow and sad. Yet she chose to weather the storm and fight for the sake of her children. At 36 years old, she has become head of her household, and is proud to say that she is managing two businesses thanks to the support of Financiera Confianza, the BBVAMF’s institution in Peru. This in turn, has allowed her to make improvements in her house which led to her kids’ better health and well-being.
Rosa has lived for 15 years in Arequipa’s Yura District. The first house she occupied wasn’t as livable as her house today: where her toilet now stands, there was nothing but a hole on the ground; there wasn’t even running water where her youngest daughter now delights in taking showers; and they didn’t have any proper and hygienic sewage system, only a crevice that caused illness and diseases.
Currently, in Peru’s urban areas, 10% of the population doesn’t have access to running water, and a similar proportion of people live in houses without a proper sewage system. In rural areas, these figures are much higher. Thanks to the credit program ‘Construyendo Confianza – Agua y Saneamiento’, vulnerable entrepreneurs like Rosa now have the opportunity to make sanitation improvements, enhance existing infrastructure and even conclude unfinished construction projects. The loans seek to foster local economic development through housing improvements, something that directly affects the living standards of the entrepreneurs and their families. Moreover, collaboration agreements with Habitat for Humanity and Water.org, allow the program to offer sustainable building and financial solutions, together with technical assistance to better support clients.
Rosa’s children on their way to school
Rosa is an example of how a person could surmount their vulnerability with hard work. Between selling cheese and peeled potatoes, she is resolved to give her children a good life. Her priority is for her children to study and become professionals, in order to enjoy a better future.
This female entrepreneur is convinced that women, are just as capable as men. They are capable of becoming a mother and at the same time manage a business and their homes. They can overcome life’s toughest challenges and succeed. One only has to establish a goal and work to achieve it.
Rosa’s priority is for her children to study and become professionals so they could have a better future
Her story is but one of the many cases where women fight for their family’s progress and their businesses’ advancement; women who achieve their goals thanks to their determination.
