Esmeralda lost her job in 2014 and couldn’t find another one. A single mother, desperate to find a way to support her 1 year old son and her mother who was sick, she took up needle and thread and began to create crochet accessories. Esmeralda sold these at the Oriental Market in Managua. 5 years later, even though she was selling, she was barely surviving, struggling to maintain her home.
Our Bootcamp for XtraOrdinary Entrepreneurs was created to support female entrepreneurs from disadvantaged neighborhoods who have started businesses out of necessity and a lack of opportunities to enter the formal labor market. They have survived with the daily sales of their enterprise, they are extraordinarily innovative but, have not yet managed to break out of the cycles of poverty.
Now is the time to help them grow their businesses!
Between November 2019 and March 2020, 30 entrepreneurs received 130 hours of classes and 3 months of personalized mentoring to implement changes in their businesses, ensuring long term sustainability.
The program supports them to achieve financial independence
- 84% have managed to increase their client portfolio
- 66% increased their sales by more than 30%
- 10% created jobs within their businesses
Esmeralda has increased her sales by 20% and her business is breaking even for the first time in 5 years.
