Home Builders from Across the Nation Investing in the Dreams of the Poor.
“I used to be very poor, but always had a dream to start this business. Now I employ 15 people.”
Mama Flores always dreamed of opening her own salon in the Democratic Republic of Congo, but as she struggled to meet her family’s most basic needs, anything more seemed out of reach. All that changed when she learned that HOPE was offering small business loans in her community.
Her first loan wasn’t large enough to open a salon, but Mama Flores did with it what she could, buying rice and beans in bulk and reselling smaller quantities at a profit. As she consistently repaid her loans, Mama Flores qualified for larger and larger amounts until she was able to transform her dream into a reality. In HOPE’s care she saw the hand of God intervening in her situation, and she was determined to pass the blessing along to others.
After eight loan cycles, Mama Flores’ thriving salon provides for her four children—and many others as well. Mama Flores employs 15 other women, most of them single mothers or orphans who would otherwise be unable to find work. “I am able to train them so they can have a sense of purpose in life and a future for themselves,” Mama Flores says. “HOPE gave me an opportunity. Now I’m giving that opportunity to other women.”
