In 2001 , Argentina suffered a massive economic collapse. In a struggle for survival, many workers tried to run their shuttered factories themselves, and against all odds, their efforts thrived.
In becoming successful owners, these workers demonstrated a new model for economic development: a model that grows from the bottom up, allows all workers to participate and learn, and which fosters a meaning and motivation for work typically lost in the industrial age.
In 2005, we formed The Working World, and we began experimenting with a new form of microcredit that would help finance these businesses and allow these aspiring worker-owners to grow.
The photos in this blog show the story of these workers through the intimate eye of our collaboration. The intention is to allow a human connection through images of their labors, their work places, and their homes.
We hope you enjoy , and that you may learn a bit more about these ordinary, extraordinary people who have changed the way we see the world. Text by Brendan Martin
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