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PO Box 2826
Carol Stream, Illinois 60132

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

Client Love Stories

By Allison Kooser

Client Love Stories | Opportunity International

Federico Rodriguez Bastos and his wife Ruth are working together to support and empower their children, Luis Miguel and Adriana. Encouraged by the love they have for each other and their family, Federico and Ruth have built a business and a life – together.

Life has been challenging for Federico and Ruth - a guerrilla war in rural Colombia drove them out of their hometown, forcing them to leave behind their only asset - their land. Faced with the likelihood of poverty as he moved his family to the city, Federico knew he must act to ensure his family’s survival. Combining his carpentry skills and his innate entrepreneurial spirit, Federico strategically invested his first loan from Opportunity to launch a woodworking shop where he manufactures curtain rods and fixtures.

Today, Federico operates a thriving business and always credits his Opportunity loan officer for his tremendous success. When he and Ruth look back on the home they left behind, they reflect with gratitude on the new life they have built with their own hands and little help from Opportunity Colombia. While they have experienced personal success, the couple says their biggest achievement has been their ability to create jobs for others who have been forced to migrate into the city, giving their neighbors the same chance they received in their time of need.

Client Love Stories | Opportunity International

Clemencia Alcerro and Jose Elias Juanez have been married for over 30 years. Together, they have built a home in Honduras, growing their firewood business and earning enough to send all nine of their children to high school. With the help of five Opporutnity loans, Clemencia and Jose expanded their exisiting businesses, built a corn grinding business and saved money to purchase their own home. Today, they are watching their family thrive.

Clemencia has even bigger dreams for the future, saying, “I dream that all of my children would build their homes in one place, in one community, so we can all live together. I’ve risen with Opportunity. Opportunity has helped me to graduate all of my children. I wouldn’t be the way I am without the loans. Thanks to God and to Opportunity, my children have not missed out on anything.”

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