Last month, we told you about how Jacobo Benjamin, an immigrant in a difficult situation, laid a foundation for his family’s success. Because of Jacobo’s diligent savings over the years, his daughter Yasquina became the first person from Batey Margarita to attend university. Since then, her two brothers and eight other young people from the community have followed her example. After earning her medical degree, she returned to her hometown.

When Esperanza International, HOPE’s microfinance partner in the Dominican Republic, first arrived to Batey Margarita in 2006, Jacobo Benjamin was the first of his neighbors to take out a loan. Previously, Jacobo had worked in the nearby sugarcane fields, cutting and processing the crop. But when the processing company announced it was closing, Jacobo knew he would need to find a new a new source of income.