Victor Manuel B – Blacksmith (Loja, Ecuador)
Victor Manuel Barros is a blacksmith and principally makes metal fences, gates and window covers. He is 36 and has two children with his partner. Victor only managed to complete primary school as his parents could not afford for him to continue. After leaving primary school he started working as an assistant construction labourer alongside his father, and continued doing this until he was 23 when he started focusing on working as a blacksmith. With new orders and potential for others, he sought a loan through Fundación de Apoyo Comunitario y Social del Ecuador (FACES) to help him acquire additional metal supplies and other materials for his business.