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Paola Martinez
- Age: 24
- Marital Status: Not Married
- Children: None
- Community: Los Torres
- Mi Esperanza Course: Belleza.Beauty Class 2009, Personal Skills & Micro Finance
Jensy Paola Espinal MartÃnez was one of the top students in her class excelling in all areas of training. Since graduation she has begun a beauty project in a small section of her house. Her goal this year is to officially get the operating permit to open a “salon” her salon’s name will be PAHO-PAHO. In the meantime, friends, family and neighbors call her for her services, haircuts, Manis and Pedis. Paloa has big visions for her future, she would like to someday own and run a salon in the capital city. She would feel very proud if her story can serve as an inspiration for other girls. We are excited to watch Paola’s progress with her beauty salon.
Paola Martinez's Updates
- February 2012 - Paola has joined the Mi Esperanza staff! Paola is now our beauty instructor, she just began her second session of classes in our new salon class room. Her salon is doing great and she schedules her teaching job around her salon hours. She recently bought a car with a Micro-loan from Mi Esperanza so that she can move more effectively between the 2 jobs as well as she travels to clients home with her salon business. She paid her loan back in full in 6 months!
- May 2011 - Paola is doing fantastic! Her business is growing and she meeting all the goals she has set for herself! During our recent visit Paola was excited to show us her new tile floor. If you remember from our last update she was saving for her floor....SHE DID IT! Her next goal is to complete all of the legal paper work on the salon and officially name her salon.PAO PAO (Pow Pow) We love the name don't you? Paola is always gracious to provide services while we are visiting..this time she gave Lori and Gina a "hair cocktail" a conditioning treatment. Lori also got a much needed trim, she did a great job! Visiting with Paola is always a joy. She is positive, up beat and optimistic for the future. Paola also agreed to offer her salon as location for Mi Esperanza students to fulfill their internship. We cannot think of a better example for our students!
- January 2011 - We got a call from Paola this week because she wanted to share with us her most recent success. After the christmas busy season in her salon she was able to buy the tile for her salon floor. She was very excited and proud and wanted to us to know. She is now saving for the rest of the materials and labor costs so she can have the floor installed.
- November 2010 - Celebrating the one year anniversary of her salon "Paho Paho" Paola invited Lori and Gina in for a celapon hair treatment to say thank you to Mi Esperanza for helping her reach a very big dream in her life. Lori and Gina had a wonderful time catching up with Paola and seeing how she has grown her business in the past year. It was easy to see that she had been busy. Since our last visit Paola has added a hair washing sink, shelving, a product display case and painted her salon. She now offers color services to her clients. This past year she helped 8 brides with their big day and now travels to 3 communities for clients in different areas of the city. Her next goal is to tile her floor and add drop tiles to her ceiling to help with heat issues. She hopes to have her floor completed by mid December. Lori asked Paola "Why should people invest in Mi Esperanza?" Paola; "I am grateful to anyone who would invest in Mi Esperanza. I am thankful for people who do not even know us to invest in our lives and give us an opportunity to change our lives. Women like me can not afford education that allows us to move ahead. I have always loved beauty since I was a little girl. I use to do my girlfriends hair. But the costs of beauty school was beyond my reach. After Mi Esperanza I had a skill but I also had confidence to move ahead on my own. I want to build my business and save money to go back to university and gain a business degree to improve my ability to grow my salon. " Paola continues to stay connected with Mi Esperanza through our social service outreach. We are excited to continue to watch Paola grow and achieve her dream!
- February 2010 - Gina and Lori visited Paola in her newly established salon in the garage of her family home. When they arrived she was servicing a regular client with a manicure. Paola says weekends are her busiest days of the week and building a consistent client base. Her salon is small but she says this is only the beginning! She is grateful for the education that Mi Esperanza provided her and the opportunity that it has offered her. Paola is staying actively involved with the Mi Esperanza program as she hopes to be an inspiration to others and want to give back to the program that helped her.
