Ana

Ana is 59 years old, has been widowed for 7 years, and has 8 children, who already have families and live in other cities. She now lives alone, and because of this, she works very hard as a cook in a restaurant near her town. While her husband was alive, he worked on a small farm, where he cultivated pineapples, bananas, and coffee. Now his plants require fertilizer and other treatments, and Ana spends a little time on the weekends tending to them. From Monday to Friday, she works as a cook in a restaurant from 4 in the morning until 9 at night, using her culinary skills. She earns 250 soles thanks to the good flavor of her food. During the coffee harvest, her salary increases to 400 soles since she has more clients. Ana is happy with her job as a cook and with her agricultural work, but sometimes, when she sees the coffee harvest she gets nostalgic upon remembering her large family. She knows that it offered the best to her children and that now they are good people. With her pride she hopes to continue forward because she knows that life provides many surprises. Ana, in spite of her work, sets aside some time to work as the president of her community bank. This is her fifth loan with MFP, and she is very punctual in making her payments. The money that she is requesting will be used to buy fertilizers and the other part will be used to order cutting her coffee farm and to grow without difficulties. She wants to invest in her farm since it has been left to her and her husband and because her husband would have liked it. She is also thankful to the community bank because she has learned the responsibilities of repayments and it has given her the opportunity to continue working.

Translated from Spanish by Avni Shah, Kiva Volunteer

Ana tiene 59 años de edad, enviudo hace 7 años, es madre de 8 hijos, que ya tienen sus familias y viven en otras ciudades, ahora se ha quedado sin compañía, por ello se dedica mucho a su trabajo de cocinera, en un restaurante cerca a su pueblo. En vida su esposo realizaba los trabajos de la chacra, habiendo cultivado plantas de piña, plátanos y café; ahora sus plantas requieren de abonos y otros cuidados dedicándole la menor parte del tiempo ya que solo se dedica a ella los sábados y domingos; de lunes a viernes ella trabaja de cocinera en un restaurante (en la foto), de 4 de la mañana hasta las 9 de la noche, explotando sus habilidades culinarias, gana 350 soles gracias a su buena sazón, en épocas de cosecha de café, su sueldo aumenta a 400 soles ya que existe más clientela. Ana esta contenta con su trabajo de cocinera, y también con sus labores agrícolas, pero a veces al observar su cosecha de café le entra la nostalgia al recordar a su numerosa familia, ella sabe que le ofreció lo mejor que pudo a sus hijos y que ahora ellos son hombres de bien y con ese orgullo espera seguir adelante porque sabe que aún la vida le depara muchas sorpresas. Ana pese a sus labores, separa su tiempo para cumplir sus funciones de presidenta de su banco comunal, este es su 5to préstamo con MFP y ella es muy puntual en realizar sus pagos. El dinero que solicita es para la compra de fertilizantes y la otra parte es para mandar a machetear su chacra de café y cosechar sin dificultades, ella quiere invertir en su chacra ya que la ha dejado de lado y a su esposo le habría gustado, también agradece a su banco comunal porque le ha enseñado la responsabilidad en los pagos y le da la oportunidad de seguir trabajando.

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