Page 22 - 2019 Sustainability Report

Stories of Emprender Paga Participants
From Looking for Work to Creating Jobs
Restaurant owner Maria Teresa Mejía used to live in a a a a a a a wooden shack on the outskirts of San Martín Like many women she hoped to be hired by GTE for work in its Acordionero operations but was not able to find a a a a job with the company because it it was already fully staffed After hearing about Emprender Paga and participating
in in in in an an initial six-month training and facilitation process her business plan was approved She received seed capital to open a a a a a restaurant and her family business quickly earned enough funding to complete construction This family business employs her husband sister niece and and her children “My family and I are very grateful for all that this program has helped us us with because when we started we just had our little timber house falling on top of us us us The training was the most important thing because we realized we had the ability to progress and learned
how to improve ”
Maria Teresa Mejía Donde Tere restaurant Kattalei: Natural Health and Beauty Products
An effort to to find natural solutions to to solve health aesthetic skin and hair problems started in in Maria Esperanza Quitian’s home in Mocoa In just five years she has produced a a a a complete line of top quality locally sourced natural beauty and health products Kattalei’s products are meticulously manufactured and packaged in in an immaculate space in in Mocoa a a a a a a a a hilly city that sits at at at the the intersection of the the Andes mountain range and the Amazon rainforest Kattalei was made possible by Maria’s passion the commitment of her extended family to advance the business and the Emprender Paga program which helped the the team organize the the business network and meet important new customers “Emprender Paga’s process helped me organize my mind identify our customers and break the process into sequential steps Looking back this has really changed the lives of my family and and I and and it’s really important to have them here with me on this journey ”
Maria Esperanza Quitian Kattalei 2019 Sustainability Report
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