Mauricia Lapa Quispe

This single mother of two teenagers owns and manages two different businesses. The venture to which she dedicates the majority of her time is a stand selling candies on a busy street in Ayacucho, Peru. She tends to this stand every single day of the week. As an “ambulante,” Mauricia has a stand on wheels, and when business is slow in one area, she has the capability to pick up and move to a more profitable section, taking advantage of greater flows of traffic. Mauricia explains that she loves her job because she is her own boss and it allows her the freedom to move about, taking advantage of the most visited and traffic-heavy areas of the city.

Although she enjoys selling candies, Mauricia’s second business is the one she is working to develop into a full-time job. This business consists of renting out the “moto-taxi” she saved so diligently to buy. A moto-taxi is a type of covered three-wheel motorcycle with a backseat, and they are the principal means of public transportation throughout this small Andean city. Every morning, the chauffeur to whom she has rented the taxi drives her to her stand and then he sets off earning money during the day. Mauricia charges 25 Soles per day to rent her taxi, or about US$ 8.50. This is an ideal way to make a living, explains Mauricia, and her dream is to save up enough money to buy a fleet of taxis that she would rent out daily.

A major factor allowing her to work diligently toward her dream business has been her involvement with her village bank. Having been the catalyst to her hard work and savings, Mauricia is very grateful to her bank. There, she has learned how to save her money and has received the economic support necessary to grow her business and accumulate capital. The reason she works so hard is to put food on the table for her children and facilitate their high school and college educations. Thanks to the loans she receives, this is a goal that is always met.

Mauricia is requesting a loan of US$ 425. This money will be put toward the repair of her moto-taxi because although it is profitable, it not necessarily a reliable type of automobile, requiring continual maintenance. She will buy new tires and cylinders.

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