A Chain of Success
Saul began a chain of success at age fourteen. When faced with the challenge of knowing little English and being unable to afford education in
the United States, he got a job at a restaurant and soon overcame both.
Fifteen years later, Saul moved back home to the vibrant city of Antigua, Guatemala. He continued to create success through creativity itself while working for a ceramics business. After gaining some experience, Saul took a leap and started his own business, RecyclARTE, selling recycled acrylic art to tourists in Antigua.
As he turned trash into treasure, the demand for his products grew. Saul responded with determination and positivity, yet realistically he needed more capital to keep up.
Opening Doors for Entrepreneurs
In Guatemala, small business capital is often hard to come by. But our emerging partner, Vida Nueva, is opening new doors by granting microloans and providing business training to community members like Saul.
After receiving a loan from Vida Nueva, Saul invested in more acrylic paints and tools to meet demand as well as increase the quality of his art. Vida Nueva also helped Saul learn how to manage the growth of RecyclARTE through business training.
Thanks to Vida Nueva’s partnership, Saul says, “I have now managed to take better care of my resources and this has allowed me to expand.”
To date, Vida Nueva has given Saul seven microloans—totaling about $1,600 USD—enabling him to do much more than just buy paint. He has opened two additional businesses, a laundromat, and an internet cafe, both provide services that were previously unavailable in his neighborhood.
It is likely that Saul will further expand his businesses as he continues to work with Vida Nueva. Whether adding on to his RecylARTE studio or offering more internet services, his successes compound upon one another to benefit his family and community as a whole.
The Communal Impact of Success
Thanks to his success, Saul’s family now has a better home, a more nutritional diet, and access to higher quality education. A leader in Antigua, Mrs. Rosa Cortez, noted that “Saul is very hardworking and respectful… you can see he is very responsible with his family.”
Saul now pours what he learned and received from Vida Nueva back into his community.
He helps his neighbors start their own small businesses and volunteers with local organizations—sharing his passion for art by teaching young people how to paint. Someday Saul even hopes to open an art school for the youth in his community.
Saul’s drive has started a chain of success and economic growth in his community as a whole. While Saul is a thriving, respected business owner today, he was not always accepted in his community. His positivity and can-do attitude were perceived as different by others. That is until his community started to see how these values made a difference in his life.
Now others are following his lead. What he has learned through hard work and business training is rubbing off on his community—probing others to ask him for advice so they can have more abundant lives as well.
Saul’s story demonstrates the positive community impact that comes from one business person faithfully pursuing a world without poverty.
As Partners Worldwide expands in Latin America, like-minded partners like Vida Nueva are emerging and opportunities are arising to work together to fight poverty. In Guatemala, Saul’s story demonstrates how investing in entrepreneurs creates a ripple effect of growth and impact that benefits the entire community.
February 20, 2017