For years, Berta’s office was the Zone 3 municipal landfill in Guatemala City.
As a recycler, Berta’s work was grueling, honest, and essential to supporting her three children. She had the work ethic, but she faced the same wall many entrepreneurs hit: she didn’t actually know if she was making a profit. She was working tirelessly, but her finances were unknown.
That changed when Berta met her mentor.
Through Mentors International, Berta didn’t receive a handout; she received an education. We paired her with a dedicated mentor who taught her the principles of business. She learned to track every Quetzal, separating her personal expenses from her business costs. For the first time, Berta could see how her recycling business was actually doing.
But Berta’s vision went beyond recycling. She had a talent for sewing and a dream of a more professional job.
Thanks to a Giving Machine gift, Berta received the specific tools she needed to bridge the gap between a hobby and a business. When combined with her mentoring, this gift became a catalyst. With her mentor’s support, she developed a business plan and a professional-looking logo for her new business, “Altelier.”
Today, Berta isn’t just “getting by.” She is a dual-business owner. She manages her recycling work while launching “Altelier” to her community with the confidence of a professional. Berta didn’t need someone to do the work for her; she just needed the knowledge and a push from her mentor to make her hard work count.
