Esperanza Del Barrio Azul Group

Marie Luisa Merent (second from right in picture) is a borrower from the town of San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic. She is the coordinator for the group Esperanza del Barrio Azul (Hope of the Blue Neighborhood), and her story is representative of the other borrowers in her group.

Marie is 35 years old and lives with her husband Isidro, her 19-year-old daughter, and also cares for a 14-year-old girl. Marie makes and sells sweets to her neighbors and friends, specializing with the local supply of coconut and peanuts. Since sweets are a luxury, Marie would like to use this loan to purchase rice and maybe some clothing that she can sell for a profit. These items will help her keep a steady income when the sales of her sweets aren’t as high.

This is Marie’s 3rd loan with Esperanza, and she has a perfect repayment record. She hopes that her two girls will have better lives due to her increase in profits. Marie is very thankful for her loan and her relationship with Esperanza, saying “when I have difficulties with my business, I know I can come [to Esperanza] for support”. Thank you for your loan to Marie and to the Esperanza del Barrio Azul group!



About Group Loans
In a group loan, each member of the group receives an individual loan but is part of a group of individuals bound by a group guarantee. Under this arrangement, each member of the group supports one another and is responsible for paying back the loans of their fellow group members if someone is delinquent or defaults. Learn more

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