A Discussion with Matilde Lencinas, Entrepreneur, Vendor Cosmetics, San Miguel, Buenos Aires, Argentina

With: Matilde Lencinas Berkley Center Profile

July 4, 2013

Background: As part of the Education and Social Justice Project, undergraduate student Sarah Baran interviewed Matilde Lencinas in July 2013. Lencinas founded her own cosmetics line nearly thirty years ago and, in an effort to expand her business, in 2012 she obtained a loan from Protagonizar, a Buenos Aires microfinance lender founded by Jesuits. In this interview she discusses the history of her business, working with Protagonizar, and what she enjoys most about her job.

Can you please share with me a little more about your background?

I have always lived here, and actually I live only three blocks away from here. I grew up and attended school here but did not finish high school. I have three children, and my oldest son is 43 now. I have six grandchildren as well. I have two more that are still part of the family, even though we are not related by blood. Now it is just my husband and I in the house. I am retired now and am getting together with all three of my children to celebrate my birthday on Sunday, which will be nice, but we are also calculating what we need to do financially to make sure we are in a good place.

Can you please explain your microbusiness?

My business is a cosmetic line. I sell my products from my house and I re-sell them to other vendors as well. I have been selling them directly for thirty years now. I began basic, moved up, and now want to return to basic, where I am a re-vendor instead of recruiting more re-vendors. One of my strengths is my knowledge of how to compute the bills and calculations necessary for a business. What I am doing now is more for my grandchildren, for the little girls.

I love the meetings with my friends, as they are very feminine and fun. A lot of my customers are young students, and the energy keeps me feeling young, too, but I suppose I also enjoy the independence that I have because I have my own work.

How did you find out about Protagonizar?

Juan called me when I started with them, and I learned all about the papers, the neighbors, and everything that needs to be calculated. This year I am still in the middle of my first cycle. I have the loan by myself, and it is for 1,300 pesos. Working with Protagonizar is very easy. You pay back every week, and the interest is low. Here, they really care—I grow lettuce and fruits and they always ask me how they are growing. They check in to make sure everything is okay.

What are some of the obstacles that you face with your microbusiness?

Some customers do not pay back. Then, you are always looking to incorporate more people to resell the product, but they have to be people that you trust have the capacity to pay. If they can’t, this is a problem for the business.
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