Angelina Osejo fled Nicaragua with her children during the 1980s and returned nine years ago to open a small flower shop. At that time, flowers were still only used for the deceased and flower businesses were struggling. Angelina’s ingenuity expanded the market for flowers as she brought flowers back to life for the people of Nicaragua.

From her assured and confident manner, you would not guess that Angelina was initially fearful to borrow money. Her mother had taught her to always pay cash-in-hand. When asked what she would do if money ran out she would shrug her shoulders and reply, “God help me.” NICA Fund partner agency FODEM alleviated her fear by letting her know they “trust her”, and she has been borrowing from them ever since. Now business is flourishing. “[It] is a small business but doing very good,” Angelina proudly explains.

Because of the success of her flower shop, Angelina has been able to look after and provide for not only herself, but her employees and her customers as well. Her staff has grown from two employees to 17. The majority are women, often single mothers, whom she feeds three times a day. Angelina also continues to increase their salaries. Always aware of the dire economic situation in Nicaragua, Angelina makes sure her business remains socially minded.

As Angelina points out, “Flowers [are] really very hard business to do in Nicaragua.” Despite these odds, however, Angelina’s determination has allowed her to consistently pay back loans and receive her largest and most recent loan of 40,000 Córdobas (over $2,000). With this loan, she will continue expanding the business. She plans on sending four people to start selling flowers on the street, thereby increasing the quantity sold and lowering prices to make her flowers affordable for people at much lower socio-economic levels.