This week we follow the storyline of impact created by a simple decision. A small decision that didn’t take much time for one person however substantially improved the life of another and her entire family.
It all began with a large financial services client who was planning a fall conference for their associates. Like many of us, they wanted to give something to them that would have meaning and be useful. They began chatting with us about a gift for their requirements and after the usual evaluation process – chat – see sample – get a quotation – they decided to proceed with the Cambiar Portfolios from our team in Guatemala.
Now here’s where the story deviates from the norm in a really powerful way. This order went to a small business in Guatemala lead by Rudy and Sully Rojas. They were then able to employ Wilma among others to make the portfolios for the client.
This is where the client’s choice gets personal – Wilma opens her eyes every morning just like us when she wakes up. She gets up and begins to face her day…just like us. Except her day looks very different than ours.
Wilma's house
Wilma and her husband Antonio have 6 children the youngest of which Ashley, is deaf/blind and mute and was born with epilepsy. Antonio was injured in an industrial accident and is mostly unable to work. There home (see the picture), has been washed out 2 times in the past 6 months. There is very little employment opportunity in Lake Amatilàn where they live. I’d dare say if our days looked like that we might hesitate to get up.
But the day after Rudy and Sully received the order Wilma opened her eyes in the morning with a sense of hope that she normally doesn’t experience because she was off to the technical centre to make some portfolios! Her paycheck for the job she performed helped to provide for her family in a very significant way.
And what of the gift? We were told that everyone who received it loved it because it was a very nice and unique gift and it came along with the story of how it was made giving it extra meaning.
So a small decision involving money that was going to be spent anyway and a uniform decision making process, all added up to a very substantial impact on real people’s lives where there is little room for hope.
Wilma & Family
This client preferred to remain unnamed; the story after all is about Wilma. However Wilma, Rudy, Sully and the whole team say thank you very much!!
