When Sofia lost her business in a fire, she was also tempted to lose hope.
"My husband and I are not young, it is difficult to start again", she said.
The fire that swept through the market of Campesino in Southwestern Bolivia destroyed shops as well as the livelihoods of many entrepreneurs. Sofia's entire storefront and stock of clothing disappeared in the flames.
Rebuilding Business Following Disaster
Sofia had worked for many years and invested her hard earned savings to develop the business. Her sense of loss was overwhelming. "I sell to people with kindness. . .but I lost everything in the fire."
The family business provided a regular income for Sofia and her husband along with four dependents. "Everyone in my family was very sad, because we had lost everything in our business", she says.
Thankfully, Sofia is part of a support network through her church and a local Five Talents savings group. The same group that had helped her build the business, now stepped in to assist Sofia in her time of need.
The savings group came together and provided food for Sofia and her family. They also mourned with her the loss of her business and prayed that God would give her a fresh start.
The Power of Community Savings
"My group has been like my family", Sofia says.
With the prayers and support of her savings group and a gift of just $20, Sofia was able to restart her business and grow it through smart savings and loans.
"My trust in God has grown and in the most difficult moment I felt His support, I felt the hand of God standing up through this ministry."
Today, Sofia's business continues to grow. She's restocked her shop and set aside more capital for business growth. "We have food, we pay basic services, and we have no debts."
"God has given us everything we need, and we walked on. Like Job, we do not stop to praise him, because he is the one that provides every day."
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