Altagracia Damian, Dominican Republic Altagracia Damian started a tiny ceramics business in the Dominican Republic. When she started her business in 1987, she had only 16 cents in her pocket. After a few years of minimal operation, Altagracia went to ADEMI for a loan. She received US$80 which she used to purchase clay and glazes. Since then, she has received a total of eight loans from ADEMI. Although Altagracia herself does not draw a fixed salary, she now has seven employees working in her business. She says that thanks to the support of ADEMI, she has climbed out of extreme poverty and manages a growing business, while paying for her children's education. Name of microfinance programme: ADEMI Source: Microcredit Summit 1997 - Institutional Profiles. Hari Srinivas - hsrinivas@gdrc.org Return to the Human Angle Return to the Virtual Library on Microcredit