Written by Edgar S. Martinez, President and CEO, VisionFund International

With travel restrictions lifting, I took my first field visit to VisionFund Mexico and was encouraged and invigorated to see the transformative power of microfinance in action. The trip reaffirmed that VisionFund’s 2030 strategy, Our Livelihoods Promise, is the focus and catalyst needed to expand our impact in the fragile areas we work and transform the lives of those we serve, in particular vulnerable women and children.

As we celebrate International Women’s Day, the theme #BreakTheBias focuses on a world that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive, attributes that are important in VisionFund’s culture. I appreciate the leadership of VisionFund Mexico’s first woman CEO, Nino Gonjilashvili , and the women clients I met who displayed perseverance, drive, and a strong work-ethic.

The clients I met are working hard to improve the quality of their families’ lives and contribute to the growth of their broader community. Businesses are flourishing, some more than others, but all these entrepreneurial activities have shown evidence of transformational impact: growth in hard assets, improved income generation, and access to education and medical coverage for themselves and their families. Moreover, these women and their businesses are critical for their community’s economic development through the employment they generate. 

I was moved by Norma, an elderly woman who manufactures school uniforms, and she shared how grateful she was for the support VisionFund Mexico provided her business and her family.  She said, “When my family and I gather, we include VisionFund Mexico in our prayers, desiring success and business prosperity for your ministry.”  It is a beautiful example of praying for one another, and personally it moved me to continue full force with our strategy, endeavoring to serve more women like Norma.  

May God bless and prosper the fruits and labour of each and every one of VisionFund’s clients across the network!