OB started the Nano Finance project in Cuernavaca, Mexico by collaborating with Vermont Associates for Mexican Opportunity and Support, Inc. (VAMOS) in September 2021 by giving $100 as interest-free loans.
Sean Dougherty, Executive Director, VAMOS, says: For VAMOS!, the Nano Loan project is continuing with great success here in Mexico!
We have made a total of 1166 loans to 523 women. Vamos has loaned $122,225 to the women in the state of Morelos, Mexico . from a total funding of $35,000 received from Our Biswas from September 2021 through March 2025.
Success Stories
Marta has a space outside the bus station where she sells fruit, like bananas, mangos and melons. She uses her Nano loan to buy bulk fruit which she cuts up each day. The money helps her buy more, and then sell more, which helps to feed her grandchildren and buy medicine. “Thank you for trusting me. No one else would give me a loan. And I like that there is no interest charged too. Thanks for having the confidence in me and my business.”
Rosa used her Nano loan to buy a pair of glasses so she can see well enough to do detailed handiwork like embroidery and painting on fabric. She makes napkins and tablecloths and sells them at the market. Before the loan, she struggled to see her stitches and couldn’t work as much. “With these glasses, I can work again. Thank you for helping me to keep going and to earn some money. Now I can buy more threads and materials.”
When Paty had her son, she moved in to two small rooms added on to her parents’ simple home. These days it is in need of a lot of work. She uses her Nano Loan to make repairs. “I needed the money for my home since I need materials to close a part of my home and to stop the air from circulating anymore. I also need a light for my kitchen. Little by little I will make improvements,
Paty said. “Thank you for helping me fix my house. I want my son to feel good when he comes inside his home.”
Edith started her little business with some snacks and a small table, barely making any profit. Her oldest daughter Gretelle is a beautiful, bright-eyed preschooler who lives with a rare heart condition. The treatments are expensive. But today, thanks to a nano-loan from Our Biswas, Edith was able to buy a cart—nothing fancy, but strong enough to push through the streets and reach more customers. That cart changed everything. Now, Edith can move to where the people are. She sells more. She saves more. And slowly, she chips away at the medical bills. She can’t control Gretelle’s illness—but she can do this. She can fight for her child with everything she has.
This is what a loan does when it’s built on trust and dignity. It doesn’t just help a woman start a business. It helps her rewrite the future.
Maximiliana Abarca Sánchez: She is 24 years old. She lives with her partner, but they cannot afford to be married yet, they have one child. They rent one room and all sleep in the same bed. Her partner began to do some sewing work and Maximiliana helped. She borrowed money to buy a sewing machine and now they have work sewing uniforms for nurses! She goes to the local market every 15 days and sells other items as well. The Nano Loan has helped them to no longer have to borrow money for food and has relieved them of a lot of stress. Maximiliana is very thankful for Our Biswas having the confidence in her to loan her money. She does not receive any help from her own family and so this has provided so much support for her.
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