Berkley Center

Background:As part of the Education and Social Justice Project, undergraduate student Sarah Baran interviewed Silvia Guilianai Adriana in June 2013. Collaborating with members of her family, Adriana runs a business out of her Buenos Aires home selling books, food, games, and perfume, for which she obtained a loan from Protagonizar, a microfinance lender founded by Jesuits. In this interview Adriana discusses her business, working with Protagonizar, and obstacles she has faced as an entrepreneur.

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

I used to live in Moreno, but I was born in Tigre. I have lived here for forty years. In my family I have a husband, four children, and six grandchildren. Everyone works in the business, thanks to God.

Can you share a little bit more about how you first started and why you choose to pursue this type of work?

I began with only a freezer and 200 pesos (50 dollars) twelve years ago. Now I have fifteen freezers, including two that I just bought recently. It has grown to be a big business. It is connected to the side of my house, and there are about ten meters in the front and eight in the back. There are different windows so that people on the street can see what I am selling. Each window is set up to show something different that we sell. It is almost as though there are all these little stores combined into one because we sell food, books, games, ice cream, and perfume, and we bought a van for it. As I said before, the entire family helps with the business. It is a family business. Since it is in the house, we can all communicate easily, and everything is right there. When I was 16, I was in a supermarket and realized that I liked it. With my problem—I have a visual handicap—I cannot have other work. Time passed and I needed to look for other work, so I started this.

What type of loan do you have with Protagonizar?

I have an individual loan for 8,500 pesos that I have had for four years. I was first part of a group, but then afterwards I could apply for my own individual credit. I have always had the attitude that I want more. I was always asking them for more. I also have just started a new loan with another organization, the Banco Provencia for microbusinesses. It is monthly. However, working with Protagonizar is much more convenient. What I have now is thanks to Protagonizar, but, always with the same attitude I am looking to expand.

How has Protagonizar helped you?

They are always there. You can chat with Daniela about whatever problem you have. It is never a problem if you complete everything on your end, and then they do so as well. It is mutual. They always help and ask if everything is okay. It was a good experience being in a group, and I know it is also the same with other groups; I never had a problem. I just always wanted more, and that is why I moved on to an individual loan. It is a mindset, and I always think, “What am I missing here?” There are a ton of things, but still I always ask and always invest with the earnings. You cannot save in Argentina because of the inflation, so it is better to invest in a product. I invest in the merchandise that I need for my business. I invested in the balance and in the air conditioning. I bought three freezers. Everything was broken, so I invested to replace it.

What are some of the obstacles that you face?

The costs of things, such as food, light, and taxes. None of these things are part of your profit, and this bothers me. There are a lot of robberies, too many. It is dangerous. There was a fire once, and if the people had not left, they would have been killed. It was right on the corner of the church.

What is your favorite part of your work?

Everything. I enjoy my work. I love it. I do it for the money, but I always like to fix things about my business. I run it the same way that I run my house I check to make sure everything seems well and is very organized. The brands I sell are good. I am accustomed to working to serve my customers, as I need to do so in order to make a profit. Thus if I get negative feedback from people, or if someone is angry because another product is sold somewhere else cheaper or better, this is not good for me. If I see something that I do not have, then I will go and buy it. Overall, I am a good seller. I am always developing.