April 2010 update: Watch a slideshow of 14 micro-entrepreneurs like Justina who are using microloans to turn family traditions into family businesses.

Though the sprawling 16 de Julio street market in El Alto, Bolivia, sits 13,000 feet above sea level, the thin air and cool temperatures don’t slow down blanket maker and vendor Justina Rita Gutierrez. Justina initially turned to Global Partnerships’ microfinance partner, Pro Mujer in Bolivia, 13 years ago for trainings in self-esteem, health and business skills. She took out a first loan of $10 to support her business making and selling the heavy blankets needed for people to keep warm at the city’s high altitude.

Several loan cycles later, Justina’s business has grown—as has her confidence in her own abilities. She owns the sewing machine that is central to her craft, and with her current $3,000 loan she is able to buy more raw materials at better prices. She is the president of the communal association of borrowers who together request and guarantee one another’s loans. And thanks to the income generated by her business, all three of Justina’s children attend school, with the oldest already graduated from high school and planning to study medicine. She is currently pregnant with her fourth child, and the health services provided by Pro Mujer to their clients have been a great help throughout her pregnancy.