Farmer to Restaurant Owner to Hotel Proprietor

Gloria was born and raised in Cotacachi, province of Imbabura, Ecuador. Initially she was dedicated to raising animals such as chickens, pigs, guinea pigs and geese in her desire to fulfill her dreams, Gloria sought an opportunity to access financing, so she became part of a solidarity group which allowed her to access credit despite not having the necessary guarantees. Thus, in 2004 she accessed her first credit facilitated by FODEMI for an amount of US $236.

From 2005 to 2009 Gloria applied for a total of 6 credits for her activities, the largest of them for $1,500. Thanks to her work and responsible behavior with the use of credit, she was able to raise enough capital to invest in a new project: opening a restaurant in Cotacachi, her vision was to serve both Ecuadorians and tourists of other nationalities.

Gloria was successful, her visionary idea opened the doors to a new activity in which she not only received acceptance from her clients, but also suggested that she start another venture. Her clients recommended that it would be good for her to rent to foreign visitors on her property. Working with motivation and using credit responsibly, she gathered the necessary capital to dedicate herself to the lodging of tourists.

Now Gloria has already built some cabins, maintains her restaurant and continues to raise animals. Of all these activities, lodging is one of her main sources of income.

Thanks to her hard work, her accurate vision and the trust of a nearby financial institution like Banco VisionFund Ecuador, Gloria has transformed her personal story; today she has fulfilled her dream of being a successful microentrepreneur.