Martha is the head of her household; she lives alone with her 4 daughters who are all minors attending school.

When she separated from her partner, she went back to her work in retail trade to generate income and be able to contribute to the expenses of the household, such as the educational expenses and other basic needs for her nuclear family.

She sells products through a catalog (lingerie and cosmetics), and she collects according to the school schedule of her youngest daughter. She makes her sales and collects when her daughter is in school, some days in the mornings and others in the afternoons.

Martha lives in a lower middle-class residential neighborhood located in Cartago province. She sells her products in neighborhoods close to her place of residence.

This is the first time that Martha has requested a loan, and she is doing it through the Fundacion on the recommendation of a good friend of hers who has been our client. As head of household, Martha has had to confront obstacles, such as not having much time for her business because she must care for her daughters. She has overcome this by having her daughters who are already adolescents help with the household chores and care for her youngest daughter. But her biggest obstacle is that she lacks the money she needs to meet the demands of her customers. She will be able to overcome this obstacle because of the financial support provided by the Fundacion in the form of a loan.