There are lots of ways to build bridges, but there is no stronger way to do it than with words. When we tell a story with passion and courage, we connect with the other person in a way that they understand our reality, they feel as if they are standing in our shoes.
This is what Yamile Salazar and Lizandro Ramón did when they were in Madrid. Yamile is a young Colombian woman who has traveled to Spain to tell the story of how, with the help of Bancamía, the Foundation’s institution in Colombia, she has succeeded in turning her little sewing shop into a business where the most important thing is not making money, but providing employment to 90 women in her community.
In her case, instead of building bridges, she stitches them word by word, because once she starts talking, she enfolds the listener in a fabric of bravery, goodness and the desire to make the best out of life. In the two days she spent with us we were able to feel that strength as if it was ours. In an in-house event with the whole BBVAMF team, she brought us closer to the voice of entrepreneurs, the heart of the Foundation. She also gave an excellent example of overcoming difficulties on the Values Day, organized by BBVA. Several of the country’s most important media -EFE news agency, Cinco Días and Spanish National Radio- picked up her messages and broadcast them to the wider world.
I don’t dream of becoming rich, I want to set an example for everyone around me”
“I want my daughter to understand the value of work, of opportunities, dreams and goals,” repeats Yamile time and again. “My dream is not to get rich, but to set an example for everyone around me,” states this very energetic woman, who inspires us with her smile, and with everything she says.
These las few days has also seen another protagonist: Lizandro, who exemplifies the work of more than 4,000 loan officers employed in BBVAMF institutions. These are the people who reach out every day to entrepreneurs looking for an opportunity to have a better life; they are the very soul of the Foundation.
These past few days, the voices of our protagonists crossed the Atlantic Ocean from Colombia and Peru on a huge bridge. Heart and soul have come together so that nobody can forget why we are here: to support the development of entrepreneurs under vulnerable conditions. That is our purpose.