Micro-Business Loan Turns a Homemaker to Entrepreneur in Argentina

Prior to the devaluation of the peso, Nesto never had trouble supporting his wife and children, ages 22 and 20. He had consistent work as a craftsman, making curtains and upholstering furniture, while Chaya took care of the house and raised the family. As the country’s employment situation became increasingly bleak, Nesto could get little more than a few odd jobs that paid poorly.

Nesto sought help from one among a network of Social Assistance Centers, supported by JDC in partnership with the local Jewish community. There he was received by social workers and took solace in the fact that he was not alone – many people like him were going through the same difficult circumstances. He began participating in meetings and group events organized by the Center. "There were professional people and manufacturers there, people who wanted to get a new start," Nesto observed.

One day Nesto returned from a gathering and told Chaya that the Center was going to offer a workshop in Jewish cooking. Since she had always liked preparing food and had some knowledge of Jewish cuisine, Chaya signed up.

Upon completion of the workshop, Chaya realized that the things she had learned could be leveraged to make a living for her family. The Social Assistance Center referred Chaya to the Ariel Job Center, a JDC-sponsored initiative that helps to retrain professional Argentine Jews displaced in the country’s economic crisis. The center facilitates their clients in finding new employment, and encourages the creation of new businesses through micro-enterprise loans. There Chaya received funds to start up her small business venture, as well as training and expert advice from Ariel’s team of professionals in order to carry out her project successfully.

The Ariel team connected Chaya to the culinary expos that are organized in her area, where she was able to get a stand of her own to offer her products to the public. The Ariel Center also provided funds that enabled Chaya to purchase materials she needed, including a new oven so that she could improve her level of production. The former housewife now opens her business every day and is consistently busy with return clients who love her catering.

In their free time, Nesto and the children help Chaya in the kitchen, well aware of the value that this company has to their survival. Further, whenever Chaya is hired to cater for big meeting, she employs a friend that she met at the Social Assistance Center.

"Thanks to JDC and to my community, I understood that there was another chance for my life and for my family."