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PO Box 2826
Carol Stream, Illinois 60132

Toll Free: 1-800-793-9455

© 2024 Opportunity Internationala 501(c)3 nonprofit. EIN: 540907624.

Happy Labor Day to Our Hard-Working Clients

By Opportunity International

Labor Day in the U.S. is a century-old holiday–a tribute to trade and labor–that honors workers and their families.

For Opportunity clients in the developing world, often self-employed entrepreneurs, providing for the future can be a difficult struggle. So on this Labor Day, we honor all of our clients who work hard every day to provide for their family.

Here is the story of one such family:

Noemi Gallegos and Jose Luis Barajas were raised in a small village called La Huacana, in Michoacan, Mexico. They moved their eight children to the city in order to find better educational and professional opportunities. Jose Luis works as a gardener in the municipal government in Guadalajara. During his spare time, he sows corn. Noemi has a small tortilla business, using the corn provided by Jose Luis to make her tortillas.

When Noemi heard about Opportunity International through a friend who was a Trust Group leader, she decided to join her group. She applied for her first loan two years and a half ago, which she used to build a walk-up window for her store and make improvements to the building, and to buy supplies that she needs. Noemi has now received and paid back eight loans, and she feels very proud of her successful tortilla business.

With their income, Noemi and Jose Luis also have been able to provide their children a better education. One of their daughters is in public university studying to become an accountant. During the weekends she helps her mother with the business and she pays her back a little money for her education. Their oldest sons are now working in restaurants and the youngest children are attending school. Every week Noemi attends her Trust Group meeting, and she has received training that has helped her improve her business. Noemi dreams about giving all her children a good education and teaching them the value of hard work. She is happy to be able to continue improving her tortilla business with the help of Opportunity.

Through access to financial services, clients like Noemi and Jose Luis are able to work to improve their futures, sending their children to school and providing for their families. What a blessing this is!

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