Imagine you are in Guatemala, in Ana’s house. It is a simple home, and today it is brimming with activity. Ana is busy cooking at her stove with her 6-month old daughter bundled on her back. Her 8th grade son Abner is just getting home from school. If you were here, you would smell hints of garlic and onion wafting through the room as Ana prepares traditional Guatemalan tamales to sell during the busy holiday season ahead. “My stove will be working hard for the end of the year,” Ana says, smiling.
Ana dreams of a better future – education for her children, growing her business, and perhaps even going back to school herself. She says before she became a Friendship Bridge client those dreams seemed far-fetched, but with your support, she is now achieving them. “Four years ago I had less business, and I wanted to have more goals to improve myself. Friendship Bridge has taught me to be an entrepreneurial woman….They opened the door for me to improve my business. Friendship Bridge gave me confidence.”

Ana and her family’s lives have changed dramatically since her first loan four years ago, and the investment in her clean stove through our CrediSalud program has led to even more positive change. Ana saves significantly on firewood and her family’s health has improved. This allows her to devote more time to her business and her son to dedicate more time to his schoolwork. Remarkably, this stove is making Ana’s dreams more attainable.