Anibal
(translated from Spanish)
I come from a poor but very honorable family. I have 5 siblings and my mother lives with me because my father died when I was 5 years old. Thus I have had to strive a lot in order to progress.
Until a year ago, my income had always been generated by my salaries of public and private organizations.
My financial load grew to unmanageable levels when I built my house and started a farm to grow profitable crops (chili and tomato). Because of this situation and because of the high unemployment in my country, I was looking for a way to keep my farm while managing my financial commitments.
At that moment in my life, when it seemed impossible to continue, I met Nancy Hughes to whom I owe my current familial and economical situation. For she—and her organization StoveTeam—gave me the possibility of establishing a micro company for the fabrication of ecological stoves (Ecocinas), which has resulted in my current opportunities:
I have my own source of employment.
I work every day with my family.
What I do has been a personal passion from years past: protect the environment.
I provide employment to 5 families from the region.
I contribute to the health and the economy of our people.
Encountering Nancy has been life-changing for me and my family. The importance of her help—for me and other families—is that it has not consisted in temporary giveaways, but instead StoveTeam has helped me become a sustainable micro entrepreneur by providing me with capital, technical and financial help.