Help the Román Jaramillo family save their business and community jobs.

Hello, My name is Kimberly Reiss and I've organized this Fundraiser for my friend Isabel Jaramillo, her husband Frederick and their beautiful five year old son Lorenzo. They live in Colombia in a small town called San Pedro and they are in desperate need of help.

They created their company “Hatua” (which means “a step forward”) in Los Chancos because job opportunities there are very low. They are artisans and have been designing and building beautiful wooden toys for children since May 2017. Their son was their inspiration but the ability to provide happiness for many children is what motivated them to create a business they never thought possible!

It was their dream come true to provide for their family and create jobs for others who don’t have opportunity for advancement. By 2019 they employed 17 people; single mothers, students and the disabled. So much happiness!

Then Covid-19 hit in 2020. Their company started facing challenges like so many others but they managed to keep going. Soon logistical and economic difficulties began to appear.

The wood they depended on to create products began arriving in poor condition necessitating its return to the distributor. There was no choice but to wait for the next shipment to arrive, often with only a half-refund and sometimes no refund at all. With open orders and deadlines approaching, time and money started to slip out of their hands.

They were forced to change suppliers repeatedly which wasted precious time. The price of the wood increased so much they sadly had to let go of employees which created tremendous difficulties with production. Then, finished product deliveries were delayed and theye became financially underwater.

Isabel tried everything to rectify the situation, but due to the economic conditions brought on by Covid, they were denied loans they needed to fill open orders.

Pride has kept them from asking for help but they are desperate. Raw supplies they depend on are once again available at reasonable prices. They very much want to go back to work! With some help getting back on track, they can all go back to work creating beautiful, educational toys for children and provide for themselves and those they love!

I have personally helped them as much as I can but I can only do so much! Please help them save their workshop and complete outstanding orders so they can re-build their business and help lift their community out of poverty. Any little bit will help!

Thank you so much for considering a donation to their survival.

With thanks and gratitude, Kimberly