Nancy's Story

"I am part of the credit association board—I am the secretary of my group. We meet every two weeks and talk about business. We have the opportunity to show others our products, and we forgot our problems. I'm proud of my successes, and I continue because I have the will to improve and succeed." - Nancy, Ecuador

Image of NancyImagine working from early morning into the late hours of the night and bringing home just $10…imagine trying to care for a family of 6 on so little money.

Nancy Santana, who lives in Ecuador, knows this struggle all too well…selling motor oil seven days a week so that she could provide her children with enough food to survive, but hardly enough to truly quench their hunger.

She knew she needed help and that’s when she found out about Fundación ESPOIR, Freedom from Hunger’s local partner. Nancy soon received her first loan for 250,000 sucres ($48)…but her road to success turned out to be a roller coaster ride. Shortly after receiving her loan, Nancy faced one of her greatest challenges: her business went bankrupt.

Wanting to give back to her community, Nancy extended her generous spirit to her customers in the form of credit. Many of her customers were taxi drivers and didn’t have the money to pay for their oil, so Nancy gave it them on credit. Sadly, this destroyed her business.

Determined to not give up, she stayed with the Credit Association. She decided to try a new business—selling bottled water and cooking gas (propane gas). Nancy said she had the idea for the new business because she "saw there was a bigger profit margin, and you can sell water more frequently than oil."

In addition to her loans, Nancy learned the skills needed to make this new business thrive. "I learned how to handle money for my business, how to invest money back into the business." She says, “I started with a small amount, but then increased the amount of water I was buying, which means I sell more."

Nancy also learned that her business does more than provide her with an income. She has been able to save money and that brings her a newfound sense of security. She can feed her family and provide for their education, but she also knows that there is money for life’s emergencies…like the time she was diagnosed with cancer.

During a routine Pap test offered by the Credit Associations, Nancy found out she needed a hysterectomy and was immediately connected to a local cancer group. With support from her ESPOIR field agent, Nancy had the surgery.

Image of NancyBecause of her savings, she was able to take time for herself without losing her business once again. This was truly the ultimate feeling of empowerment…surviving a life-threatening disease while keeping her dream of owning a business alive.

"I am happy now. Thanks to God and thanks to ESPOIR! If I didn’t have the surgery, I would have cancer now. At the time, I would have died from cancer," praises Nancy.

Today, armed with her business, her health, and the knowledge she gained from Freedom from Hunger’s partner, ESPOIR, Nancy is an inspiration for other women. Her achievements stand as a model to the women in her community…women who now see that given the right tools they too can take control of their own lives.

Nancy is among the over 2.4 million women in 17 of the poorest countries across the globe moving beyond a subsistence life through Credit with Education…women who are empowered because they can feed and educate their children, save for the future, and become self-reliant.

But there are still so many—just like Nancy before she joined us…

Won’t you help hard-working women all over the world to make better lives for their families? Freedom from Hunger is reaching over 14 million people in need.


A world without hunger is within reach. Please make a tax-deductible donation to Freedom from Hunger today.

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