Inspirational Stories for women

                                Live Like an Entrepreneur

1.Momota, A Microentrepreneur of GMPF (Bagladesh)

Momota is a microentrepreneur of GMPF in Bangladesh. She has been a member of GMPF for 12 years and is now raising 2 cows and 4 calfs that help her produce income for her family. Her plans for the future are to continue to raise cattle and expand her cow fattening business. 

2.Boun, A Microentrepreneur of WFDF (Laos)

 Boun is an entrepreneur from the Borikhan Province, located in central Laos. She has been a client of WFDF since the new WPF supported branch opened in her area in July 2012. Her first and current loan cycle is in the amount of 2,000,000 Kip ($261 USD) which she has utilized to purchase materials for her mushroom cultivation business.

In a small space in Boun’s home, she has built shelves which hold numerous clear plastic bags filled with sand and seed powder, lining one wall almost floor to ceiling. Growing mushrooms is a profitable business for many entrepreneurs in Laos and similar locations in South East Asia. It is fairly inexpensive and “doesn’t require much maintenance once you get started, just wait,” says Boun. Once the mushrooms have grown to an adequate size, Boun harvests and sells them at the local market.

Although Boun’s mushroom growing business is going well and she would like to increase production. Boun plans to use her next loan from WFDF to cultivate the mushrooms on a much larger scale so she can sell the pre-made bags to other individuals who would also like to start growing. She also aspires to improve the rest of her modest farm for additional income. 

3.Anna, A Microentrepreneur of SEF (South Africa)

 Anna is a microentrepreneur from South Africa using her loan to support her roadside restaurant.

She hasn’t increased her loan amount from the original amount she borrowed of 1,500 Rands (about $150) in the first cycle, but she said the business has really grown just with the loan capital she has. Anna said she is conservative about the amount she wants to borrow.

Over time she has added eggs and chicken to her menu which carry a big profit margin if you have the up front capital to buy them. Now she is readying plans to open a side shop with basic goods to make the restaurant a one stop shop for food and shopping. She said the loan has really made a huge difference in her work. Her loan group is called Pfukani, which means “Wake Up!” 

4.Marta, A Microentrepreneur of Pro Mujer (Maxico)

 Marta Galicia Parra is a microentrepreneur from Mexico and has been a Pro Mujer client for the last year. She owns a flower shop located in Mexico City. She gets a $500 loan twice a year from Pro Mujer to invest in her business.