El Buen Sabor

Since her childhood in Santander, Chiquinquirá Téllez has always dreamed of having her own business selling fruit pasteries. Chiquinquirá would bring pastries in a cart from the Valley in Santander to sell in the market. However, her business was on the verge of failing because of the amount she owed to the local lender and her inability to meet the demand for her pastries.

About ten years ago Chiquinquirá decided that for her business to become successful she would have to make the pastries in Calí and in greater quantity. Setting up a pastry shop in Calí required capital that she didn’t have. “We went to many groups looking for credit and in all [we were] rejected.” said her husband Belisario. Then they learned about Women’s World Banking (WWB) operations in Cali from a friend in the neighborhood. “I talked with a women there [at WWB] and she told me how important it was to understand my business and that it would take about a year to set up my enterprise.”

With a $109 loan from WWB, Chiquinquirá was able to purchase the basic materials for to set up her pastry shop. Soon throughout a small corner of Cali one could smell the aroma coming “El Buen Sabor” [The Good Flavor], Chiquinquirá’s shop. Little by little this business grew and became increasingly more profitable, allowing Chiquinquirá to build up substantial savings. With the money she saved Chiquinquirá was able to pursue a college degree and put her three children through school. They were even able to by a truck and add three additional rooms to their house.

With further financing from WWB and support from about 8 people that Chiquinquirá now employs “El Buen Sabor” produces almost 20,000 pastries per day. This 5-fold increase in production has come without sacrificing the quality or the affordable price of the guava delights that have become a local favorite. Over the last ten years Chiquinquirá has received over US$32,000 in loans from WWB to help make “El Buen Sabor” the successful enterprise it is today.

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