Laura Mendez lives in the small rural community known as Tempate. Tempate is located in the Pacific Northwest of Costa Rica where most of the roads are still gravel and dirt and not many residents own vehicles. Walking and paying for transportation are the two main ways to get around. A popular, affordable alternative for families is bikes!
Laura is an entrepreneur, a community leader, and someone who is deeply committed to the development of Tempate. As a member of her local Community Development Association, she has actively participated in initiatives to improve local roads and promote their paving. Her leadership and commitment to the community created a natural connection between Laura, FINCA (our partner in Costa Rica), and the Tempate Community Credit Enterprise, which selected her to join the MiBici project and lead the sale of affordable bicycles in her community.
Laura joined MiBici in 2025 and has already received two shipments of bikes from Bikes for the World. "We are a low-income family, and accessing financing through traditional financial institutions has been very difficult for us. Thanks to the support and financing provided by the Tempate Community Credit Enterprise and FINCA, I was able to develop a business that now generates income to support my family. I have been selling bicycles for approximately two years, and I am now working toward the next step: building my own small shop. For now, I serve my customers and sell the bicycles from the yard of my home."
FINCA's focus is to empower rural communities in Costa Rica who often face hurdles when it comes to job opportunities and more importantly access to capital to grow small businesses into revenue generating and family supporting entities. Through the bike project, Laura has been able to do just that. She has also been able to ensure that her community has access to bikes and repairs and hopes to continue to grow that business through the support of FINCA and BfW.
"My main challenge has been not having a suitable commercial space to develop my business. I currently sell and store the bicycles in the yard of my home, which limits the space available and the conditions in which I can serve my customers. My next goal is to build a small shop where I can better display and protect the bicycles, serve people from the community more comfortably, and continue growing my business to generate more income for my family."