20 years ago, Dolores was an employee at a milk products store in Mexico City.  With her and her husband’s savings, they started a small store made of wood and palm , selling a few products.  Her father-in-law took care of the store while they were working in Mexico City, so they could save more money.

They heard about Compartamos and decided to  go back to their community and continue to grow their business there.

With the first loan Dolores bought electrical equipment to sell.  With her second loan she began to sell stationery and weedkiller.  With her next loan she managed to open their own place and to buy some furniture and shelves.

The most important change was made with the help of a loan which meant they could move from a wood store to a larger and much safer one.

Dolores tell us: "My family has benefited from the Compartamos’ loans. We have been able to give our children a better education and better medical services."

Her future plans include opening more stores, hiring more employees, offering new products and to buy more furniture.