Meet Herlinda

Herlinda originally came to Indianapolis from Mexico in 2004. Upon moving to Indianapolis, she started selling her homemade ice creams and yogurts from her own kitchen. As the demand for her business grew, Herlinda began to accept dine-in customers in her own living room. Though her business was booming, the small shop she set up in her home limited her growth. Herlinda also lacked the tools necessary to keep up with her growing customer base.

In order to grow her business, Herlina applied for business loans, but was consistently turned away because of her limited financial history. When she heard about Grameen America’s program from a few friends, she believed it was a great opportunity to get funds she needed to expand her business. In 2014, Grameen America provided Herlinda with a $1,000 loan that she used to rent a larger space for her business.

Since her first loan in 2014, Herlinda has already taken out three additional loans from Grameen America that have totaled $3,500. She used her most recent loan towards purchasing a new refrigerator and a juice maker to improve her inventory. Herlinda’s business is now thriving with weekly earnings of $3,000 a week, and she even has hired six other employees to help her prepare and serve her items.

Because of her membership with Grameen America, Herlinda not only has been able to successfully manage her own retail shop, but she also can better support her three children. Herlinda truly believes that her life has changed since she joined Grameen America as a member. 

Photo by Larry Ladig

Photo by Larry Ladig