Resilience Unleashed: Opportunities for Recovery and Growth

In Lemery, Iloilo City, 71-year-old Evangeline Suarez faced a challenge many small business owners can relate to. With her small catering business and a modest store offering frozen food products, she faced a huge challenge, grappling with the pressing need for capital to meet the growing demands of her customers. The anxiety deepened when the COVID-19 pandemic hit due to the uncertainty over the fate of her small businesses. Like many entrepreneurs, Evangeline wondered how she would survive and sustain her small business.

Project RISE provided opportunities for Evangeline. The Project, aimed at supporting local entrepreneurs, women, and farmers, presented her with a lifeline by providing much-needed financial backing for her business. The timing was impeccable, and despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, Evangeline’s small business survived and thrived.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐄 𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭; 𝐢𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐚 𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. With the newfound resources, Evangeline managed to sustain her operations and took a step further by employing an additional individual to assist in the day-to-day business activities.

Evangeline’s story is a testament to the resilience of individuals and the transformative power of community-focused projects. Through the partnership with Project RISE, she secured the future of her small enterprise and contributed to the local economy by creating job opportunities. She shared, “Not only did I pay my obligations, but some amount was left in my savings account due to that financing. I thank ADRA Project RISE and the donor ADRA China-Hongkong for providing opportunities for small businesses to grow.”

Evangeline’s story makes it clear that the ripple effect of supporting small businesses extends far beyond the individual entrepreneurs, women, and farmers, reaching into the fabric of the entire community, creating a positive cycle of growth and resilience.