Doña Blanca is a Colombian refugee who has been in the country for 12 years. She and her husband have tried many times to undertake an economic activity that will generate enough income to live a dignified life in Costa Rica. They also overcome many difficulties to achieve stability in their lives. Before joining the Graduation Model, Doña Blanca used to informally sell Colombian meals; however, this informal activity generated many problems, both legal and emotional. Doña Blanca was given the opportunity to start a locksmith business, paying only a monthly rental and a business tax. For this reason, the National University referred her to the course “Start Your Business” conducted within the framework of the Graduation Model. In this course, Doña Blanca was able to prove that their project is profitable, which is why she was supported with seed capital for the purchase of a new key making machine.
This activity has enabled Doña Blanca and her husband to cover all their expenses and operate the business. They have therefore not required any further financial support or assistance from the project. Doña Blanca is one of the 88 participants who entered the Graduation Model that year and has an interest in developing her own economic activity or self-employment. In order to do so, Dona Blanca and 55 other participants were trained to develop and organize their business idea in order to have access to seed capital provided by the project.