Meet some of the entrepreneurs and families we support

Enma is a fiercely determined single mother of two daughters, ages 15 and 6, in Comalapa. She is an artisan entrepreneur, supporting her daughters by creating and selling beautiful huipiles.Her business saw a huge leap with her first $300 loan. Originally selling just one huipil every six months, she used the funds to invest in materials _and_ pay for labor, which immediately tripled her sales. This means her loan is having a magnified economic impact, supporting other hands in the community.A second loan of $350 has allowed her to continue growing her enterprise and expand sales beyond Comalapa. Now, as she plans her next loan, the goal is twofold: continued growth, and finally, building a new room to solidify a future for her girls on the land her mother provided.Enma praises Neo Fund Guatemala for offering accessible, affordable loans that allow her to not just survive, but to truly thrive and create jobs in her community. Now this is impact!!
Life in a tin shack on the hilly terrain of rural Nejapa is challenging, but Rosa and her daughters, Jocelyn and Natalie, are determined. They run a small business selling clothes and beauty products. Natalie, with a knack for technology, has built an effective customer network through WhatsApp, which is a significant boost to their sales.But, their business suffered under the weight of debt. Borrowing from local loan sharks who charged a staggering 80% interest per month made it impossible to get ahead. Every cent they earned went straight to paying off the debt. It was impossible to improve.Their future changed when they were referred to NEO by a local pastor. They received a $600 loan at a very fair rate — a major turning point! Finally, their business is expanding, and they're creating a stronger future, one sale at a time.
Elizabeth and Dimas have always trusted in hard work, but for years they lacked the kind of fair financing that would let that effort truly move them forward. In Villa Guadelupe, near La Chureca, they built a food delivery business using their motorcycle to carry eggs, bread, meat, and other essentials, often over long and difficult routes. Before finding NEO Fund, they borrowed from informal lenders whose high rates made progress nearly impossible. After their daughter Michelle introduced them to the organization, they received a $500 loan that helped them buy more inventory, take on more orders, and reach additional customers. Now they are focused on building a stronger, more sustainable business while working toward the long-term goal of purchasing a delivery van. With steady persistence and access to fair capital, they are gradually creating a more secure future for their family.
Judith is a pastor's wife, the heart of her family, and the engine behind their dreams. While her husband leads their two-year-old church and works as a laborer, Judith takes in laundry and works as a housekeeper. To build a stronger future for their family, they took a loan from NEO to grow their small business of reselling fans and other electronics.They have two sons in the university and a daughter they lost in childhood. Despite their hardships, Judith’s vision for her family is unwavering. Judith’s eyes are red, she holds a blue broom and offers a brave smile. She had been tidying their dirt yard, a simple act reflecting her tireless dedication. “I envision much, much future for my family. I see my sons becoming professionals. And, poco y poco, we want to expand our house.”Their son, Andreas, shares this vision, understanding his parents’ sacrifices. “My vision is to finish my studies. My parents have worked very hard for many years and they are tired. My brother and I want to help them.” Together, they are working toward a brighter future, with a little help from their loan.
At just 27, Bianca is balancing more responsibilities than most. Living with her parents in Comalapa, she spends her weekdays creating handicrafts alongside her mother and keeping up with university assignments. On weekends, she attends classes in person — all paid for through the crafts she sells. Every stitch and figure she completes is not only a piece of art, but also an investment in her education and her family’s well-being.But it wasn’t always possible for Bianca to keep up. Without enough capital, she often had to turn down orders, limiting her income and slowing her dreams. That changed when she learned about NEO Fund Guatemala through her aunt. With her first two loans of Q3000 each, Bianca was able to purchase threads and hire help for the intricate designs she couldn’t manage alone. Her income grew, and with it, her ability to cover rising school expenses and contribute to her household as the only child still living at home.Now, Bianca is preparing her next loan with new goals in mind. She plans to continue investing in her craft while also helping her father, who works at a purified water plant, achieve independence. For Bianca, NEO Fund has meant more than affordable loans — it has been the key to unlocking new opportunity, building stability, and weaving a brighter future for herself and her family.
For years, Reyna worked hard to support her family in Comalapa. Between helping her husband in the fields and creating handicrafts to sell, she carried the dream of providing a stronger future for her three children. Yet, the financial institution she first relied on charged high interest and demanded too much, leaving her with little room to grow.Everything changed when a friend introduced her to NEO Fund Guatemala. With her first loan, Reyna was finally able to invest in what she needed most: help. She hired two people to join her in producing crafts, which allowed her to increase her sales and expand her reach. For the first time, her work began to generate enough income to see real progress toward her dreams.Reyna’s next step is to purchase more colorful threads, which will give her greater variety and attract new customers. Her ultimate goal is to save enough to build a modest home of her own, so her family can live independently from her in-laws.What Reyna values most is that the NEO Fund has not only provided financial support, but also training that teaches her how to manage income even how to save for her future. These tools are helping her turn steady effort into lasting change, bringing her closer every day to the independence she has always longed for.
At 36, María Eugenia is a wife, mother of three, and resident of Ciudad Sandino. For years she tried to keep a tortilla and grocery business running, but poor management forced her to close several times. When she restarted a year ago, her offerings were limited and profits small—just C$300–C$400 ($8–$10) per day.Her turning point came in January 2025, when she connected with **NEO Fund**. With a first loan of $200, she expanded her inventory to include rice, oil, sugar, and cleaning products her customers had long requested. Just as important, she joined NEO Fund’s training program, where she learned to manage income wisely. Instead of spending daily earnings, she began saving and reinvesting, building a foundation for growth.The impact was immediate. María Eugenia purchased a display case and freezer, allowing her to stock drinks, sausages, curds, and dairy products. Sales quickly rose to C$2,000 ($55) per day. With savings and support from her husband, she also launched a side business in custom-made clothing and household goods, expanding her reach to nearby Cuajachillo. For the first time, her business felt stable and promising.Now with a second loan of $300, she is investing in practical improvements like shelving and a service window, making her store easier to operate and more welcoming to customers. Trusting NEO Fund’s fair terms, she has turned down higher-interest loans from other lenders. Today, María Eugenia not only enjoys a steady income but also encourages other women to work with NEO Fund to strengthen their own businesses.
At just 22 years old, María Fernanda is a mother of two living with her husband in Cristo Rey, Tipitapa. Their modest home, built of zinc sheets with a dirt floor, has basic utilities but limited comfort. Despite these challenges, she has shown persistence to provide a better life for her family.A year ago, María Fernanda used her savings to start selling women’s and men’s clothing, sandals, shoes, and silver jewelry. However, she didn't make what she hoped and tried a job that would help her secure health insurance for her children. The long hours kept her away from her children and provided very little income.In May 2025, she turned to **Neo Fund** to restart her business. With her first loan of $200, she purchased clothing and accessories to sell. Within a month, she had more customer orders and, with her earnings, invested in a display case to showcase her products. She also began a small grocery business from home, adding another stream of income.Thanks to Neo Fund’s support, María Fernanda is now building a successful business that keeps her close to her children. With renewed confidence, she is on her way to turning her small venture into a reliable livelihood for her family.
Chitikinati, from Andhra Pradesh, is an encouraging example of rural entrepreneurship. A member of the 'Glori' self-help group, she sought financial assistance to start a sustainable business, aspiring to create a livelihood for her family with locally available resources.Vakalamma turned to the NEO Fund for support and successfully obtained a loan. She invested this in purchasing country chickens, essential feed, and setting up proper care facilities. Her dedication and steady effort led to a profitable venture, with high demand for naturally raised poultry in her village. She efficiently managed her farm, selling chickens in the local market and generating a steady income.Despite challenges, Vakalamma learned effective farming and marketing strategies through perseverance and guidance from her group and the NEO Fund. Her business has grown, allowing her to repay her loan and reinvest. Her success has improved her family's greater financial stability and inspired other women, proving that with financial resources and persistence, aspirations can transform into thriving businesses.
At 55, Botla Vakalamma of Kanuru village has become a respected entrepreneur by launching a reverse osmosis water plant. As a member of the Pavitra self-help group, she watched unsafe groundwater contribute to frequent illness in her community and decided to address the problem directly. With loan support from KISES MACTS, she invested in the system and worked through the challenges that came with it, including limited technical experience and hesitation from villagers who were not used to paying for water. Through training, persistence, and patient explanation of the health benefits, she gradually built trust. Today the plant provides steadier income for her family, creates work for others, and improves access to safer drinking water in Kanuru. Her example has encouraged other women to think more boldly about what they can build, and she hopes to extend water service to nearby villages in the future.
Chitikinati Lakshmi, from Kanuru village in Andhra Pradesh, is an encouraging example of self-reliance. As a member of the Saloni Self-Help Group (SHG), she bravely decided to improve her greater financial stability by starting a small petty shop.Facing limited resources, Lakshmi relied on daily wage work, but her persistence to create a sustainable livelihood led her to entrepreneurship. The Saloni SHG played a crucial role, providing financial literacy and business training that instilled confidence and encouraged her to take a loan from the NEO Fund. She used these funds to purchase initial stock and set up her shop.Through steady effort and strategic planning, Lakshmi’s shop quickly gained popularity. She reinvested earnings to expand her product variety and applied her SHG training in customer engagement and inventory management. Today, her shop generates a stable income, helping provide for her family and allowing her to save. Lakshmi's success inspires many women in Kanuru, proving that with persistence and support, financial independence is achievable.
Veera, a member of the Mokha Sree group in Kanuru village, pursued poultry farming as a way to build greater financial independence. With the help of a NEO Fund loan, she purchased stronger chicks, improved shelter for the birds, and invested in better feed. Careful attention to hygiene and daily management led to healthier poultry and stronger egg production, which helped her attract regular customers looking for fresh, naturally raised products. As the business gained momentum, Veera developed a more dependable income and improved her family’s financial stability. Her progress has also made her a visible example for other women in the community who are exploring self-employment as a practical path forward.
Fidelina, a married mother of three from Chipoc, Comalapa, lives with her husband, daughter, and grandson. To strengthen her artisan business, she first received a Q2000 loan from Neo Fund Guatemala, which allowed her to buy a wider range of thread and take on more orders. After successfully repaying that loan, she applied for a second loan of Q4000 to purchase additional supplies. The added capital helped her business expand and also created work for her daughter, who now helps craft handmade figures from home. Fidelina especially values the organization’s lower interest rates, clear credit process, and financial training, which have helped her manage income and expenses more confidently. She hopes to continue growing sales while keeping that home-based work opportunity in place for her daughter.
Wendy is married with three children under ten and lives in the community of Comalapa. With her first loan of $380, she bought a loom and immediately set to work weaving the traditional Mayan crafts as an assistant to other weavers. As her sales increased, she found it easy to make her payments while adding to her family’s income. Now she is on her second loan, and her husband helps her with her new orders.  They work together now, and have been making all of her payments on time. 
Lorenza, a 60-year-old weaver and small business owner from Comalapa, has been able to grow her store and tortilla factory with the help of Neo FUND. Living with her husband and daughter, she first heard about the program through her church and took out a small loan to buy threads for her weaving and store inventory. As more customers came in, her delicious tortillas gained popularity, leading her to take a second loan to buy more corn and boost production. She’s grateful for the support, as traditional banks never approved her for loans due to strict requirements and high interest rates. She especially values the training sessions, which have helped her improve her sales and expand her business successfully.
Esquivel, 33, is a married mother of two children (9 and 6) living in Cristo Rey, Tipitapa. In 2015, she and her husband moved from Somoto, Madriz, and she started a small convenience store. Struggling with high-interest "daily loans," she switched to Neo Fund in December 2024. Within two months, her business blossomed. Her first $300 loan allowed her to buy more products. Now, she can place orders directly with suppliers who deliver to her store—something she couldn’t do before. **"Now, I restock daily, and I can buy my boys' school supplies. They can even take 50 cents instead of five cents for school snacks! I wish I had known about NEO sooner. May God bless them!"**
Mopidevi is from a village in Andhra Pradesh, India. She is part of one of our women’s credit cooperatives. She used her loan of $100 to purchase some sheep so she can harvest and sell wool. Before her loan, her family was able to bring in 5,000 rupees per month ($60). Now, with her sheep she is bringing in 8,000 rupees ($100), almost doubling the family’s resources. She would like to add to her small herd and is looking forward to future loans with the NEO Fund which she finds affordable. 
Cristobalina lives with her husband and three children in Chipoc Comalapa, a village in Chimaltenango. She weaves traditional Mayan textiles and makes some into souvenirs and others into traditional Huipiles (traditional Mayan blouses) and the traditional belts worn with them. When she heard that the NEO Fund offers free training, she was so enthusiastic because, “no other microfinance group worries about us.” With her first loan of $300, she will buy materials and hire someone to help make her products — which means more than one family will benefit from that loan!
This is Rosa! She lives outside Cristo Rey at the edge of a cattle ranch where her husband is a laborer. So far, she has taken (and repaid) two loans to build a small resale business. She buys rice and clothing in the village of Tipitapa, 5 miles away, to resell locally — a real convenience for her neighbors! With her latest loan of $500 she purchased a freezer and added frozen chicken to her lineup. This addition is her most profitable so far and has helped her provide better meals for her family and school supplies for her young son Osmani. Thanks to NEO training, she's now saving a little each month to purchase a small plot of land in the center of Cristo Rey. She believes this location will help her business grow even more! Thank you to our NEO Nica staff for coaching Rosa along the way, and thank YOU, our donors, for making loans like this possible!
Veronica has been building her pulperia in Cristo Rey for 9 years, little by little to help support her family of 7. Her best products are staples: rice, sugar, and oil. She has taken 5 loans to increase her inventory and improve her store, the most recent for $600.
Vilma is a single mother with 2 young children, ages 2 and 5. They live with her parents in the Mayan community of Chuaqixaqui, Comalapa. She met the NEO Fund through another borrower. Her initial ask is for 2500 quetzels ($300). She wants to use it to buy materials and hire an assistant to make additional weavings. She wants to save for the future and be able to add a room on to her parents' home for her and her children.
Maria Isabel from Ciudad Sandino, Nicaragua, needed to find a way to work from home and care for her six children. She started a small grocery store selling candy, bread and coffee. But the exorbitant fees from everyday money lenders kept her barely able to stay afloat. A friend told her about the NEO Fund, and she says NEO Fund training has taught her to understand inventory, save money, reinvest in her business, and keep good financial records. Her three loans helped save her business. With NEO help, she has been able to expand to basic groceries and health care products — even sewing supplies. Her neighbors appreciate buying these items from her and saving the precious bus money they would spend going into town.
View more