Kiva Loans for Microfinanzas Prisma

Elizabeth : Peru

Tue, 22 May 2012 13:30:02 PDT

$1,025 of $1,150 raised.

Started raising funds on May 22, 2012

Elizabeth is 37 years old. She has been married to Enrique for 13 years. She has five small children, and they live in her mother-in-law's house, located in the town of Ichicruz. From the first light of the sun and with her basket, Elizabeth goes to one of the most central streets in her town to sell hot, fresh bread, which all of her customers prefer already. Finishing this work, she tends to her own cows and to those belonging to others, for which she is paid a monthly salary. She is recognized in her community for being a responsible person and very dedicated in caring for the cattle. At the moment they aren't producing much milk, but she hopes very soon to increase the quantity and quality of her cows. She also hopes to raise other animals such as chickens, sheep, and pigs in order to sell them to butchers. Currently she is saving money to buy her own house, since her husband started to work on a construction site, where he hopes to make good earnings. He also transports passengers on the weekend with the three-wheeled car they have. She belongs to the "Ichicruz" communal bank, and this is the eighth loan with MFP. She is thankful for the help they give her, since she obtains the working capital she needs to be able to work and progress in her business. She promises to be punctual with her repayments, since the members of her communal bank are supportive and responsible people. Elizabeth will invest the money requested in the purchase of a good-quality milk cow to increase milk production.

María : Peru

Thu, 24 May 2012 08:40:02 PDT

$475 of $750 raised.

Started raising funds on May 24, 2012

María is 43-years-old, is a good, friendly, and very responsible woman. With her partner she has four children of the ages 10, 19, 7, and 1. Together they live in their own home, from where they live out the illusion of offering a better quality of life for their family. Her work is transporting cargo and passengers within the city, but she is not the one devoted to driving the vehicles; for this she relies on the help of her son, who drives the car. She also has a motorcycle, which she gives to a chauffeur who is in charge of working every day and who pays a sum in the form of rent. She has two years of experience in this business and enjoys it because it allows her to have time available to spend on the side with her family and to be able to offer them the care they need. She has plans to buy another vehicle in order to increase her income. This is her sixth loan with MFP, therefore she hopes to continue with her plans. She promises to continue being a punctual client and as responsible as she has been up until now. She hopes to continue working with her communal bank because they are very good, friendly, and responsible people. With the amount she has asked for, 2000 nuevos soles, she will buy tires and parts for her vehicle. This is because it has deteriorated with the passage of time and needs to be repaired.

César : Peru

Tue, 22 May 2012 15:00:11 PDT

$650 of $1,700 raised.

Started raising funds on May 22, 2012

César is 54 years old, and he is a sincere, responsible and honest man. He lives with Maritza, his wife of 22 years. He has 4 children whom they have raised with deep love in their own house, located in Pampa Blanca. At the moment only one of them, Maricurz, lives with them. All over the years he has been engaged in many activities; one of them is working as a mason in the capital city, where he earns the best wage he uses to provide for his family. Another of his activities is growing maize, ulluco (a root vegetable), quinoa and wheat in some lands he rents with a few partners. After every harvest he sells his products in the town of Lima. As a consequence of this second activity, he has come up with the idea of selling raw grains: he started this activity with his children, and in time this has proven to be a very profitable activity. However, the activity he likes the most is livestock breeding. He has cows, bulls and billy goats whom he cares for with great commitment; when he finds himself economically in need, he sells them to the butcher offering him the best price. He is a member of the “Pampa Blanca” Communal Bank, and this is the 10th loan he has requested to MFP. He is happy with his Communal Bank, as he has been working for many years with his group, whose members are people greatly willing to help each other out. César will invest the loan he has requested in the purchase of various kilograms of raw grains, in order to stock up the activity he runs with her children.

Yelena : Peru

Fri, 25 May 2012 02:10:02 PDT

$550 of $950 raised.

Started raising funds on May 25, 2012

Yelena is 39 years of age and is a happy, friendly and responsible woman. With her partner she has a six-year-old son. They live in their own house and try to give the best to their son – good quality of life and education. Yelena sells drinks, and also owns a three-wheeler van which she rents out for a daily fee. She also has a small farm which is managed by her partner. She has been carrying out this business for two years, and she enjoys being able to work with her son beside her so she can look after him. Her house is located in a strategic part of her area, and she therefore has customers all the time every day, generating good sales. This is Yelena’s fifth loan with MFP, and she is very happy to know that she has financial support to help her continue increasing her working capital. She is sure that she will continue to be responsible with the loans she obtains. She likes being part of her communal bank as they are all very responsible and have a strong sense of solidarity. Yelena plans to use the requested amount of 2,500 soles to buy replacement parts for her van, pay the mechanic who will repair it, and buy more drinks to sell.

Roberto : Peru

Sat, 26 May 2012 22:10:03 PDT

$100 of $575 raised.

Started raising funds on May 26, 2012

Roberto, age 46, is a hardworking and honest man. His partner has three children, but he raises them as if they were his own. All of them live in a house they own and he wants to provide his family the best so that they will have a good future.

Roberto's work involves planting regional products (cassava, bananas, aji peppers, bell peppers, and other crops). Every day he is in the field caring for, cultivating, and watering his plants. He knows that in order to get a good harvest, he must invest a great deal of time during the planting phase. Roberto works alone, but on some occasions he will hire other people to help with planting and harvesting. He has been working for 20 years and enjoys everything that he does, especially being out in nature. Roberto also has a store in his home where he sells cosmetics and basic necessities to the neighbors in his area.

This is his second loan with MFP. Roberto is pleased to know that he has financial support and feels confident that he can advance his business. Once again, he promises to complete his payments, just as he did with his previous loans. Roberto is grateful to be part of his Communal Bank because all of the members are responsible and supportive people. The loan amount of 1,500 PEN that he requested will be used to keep the store in his house in operation. He will also buy grains and seeds for planting in his field.

Selmith : Peru

Thu, 24 May 2012 11:10:03 PDT

$500 of $950 raised.

Started raising funds on May 24, 2012

Selmith, 60, is a tenacious, hardworking, very cheerful woman. She’s a widow living with her three children who are 41, 39, and 30 years old as well as her five grandchildren who she loves and pampers very much. She sells clothes that she buys in the city and sometimes brings from the capital. She sells them in areas away from the city like settlements along the riverbanks. She makes short trips and is well-known in these areas; most of her sales are to order. She’s been in this activity for more than three years occasionally getting help to do it from some of her children who accompany her on her trips along the river. She likes her work because it provides regular income for her own expenses and for occasional treats, like buying gifts for her grandchildren. What she dislikes is that due to her age it’s more difficult each time to do these trips because she ends up fatigued but she comments that it’s her only source of income so she wants to continue and stay in business. This is her fifth MFP loan. She likes the work in her communal bank and hopes to continue to have this financial support. She commits to continue being punctual with her installment payments. She will use the requested 2500 new soles to buy various styles of clothes for all genders. She will also buy a sewing machine valued at 500 new soles and supplies to go into sewing.

Doris : Peru

Thu, 24 May 2012 11:10:02 PDT

$425 of $1,125 raised.

Started raising funds on May 24, 2012

Doris is 40 years old. She is a happy and hardworking woman who likes to be productive. She is married to Armando who is a policeman. They have a 12 year old son who is the best gift life has given them. They live in a lovely house that she was able to build with her husband’s help. Her business is selling grocery staples and to do so she opened a store in her house. She also sells police uniforms that she makes in a small workshop installed in her house. She sells the uniforms to both institutions and individuals. She started the latter business thanks to relationships developed through her husband in the police environment, where she has become very well known and in demand because of the fine quality of her work. She has been engaged in this business for the past 5 years. She enjoys her work because it keeps her busy and she feels productive. She wants to develop into a small businesswoman doing what she loves, sewing. However the problem is that when she sells on credit, some of her customers are late in paying her. Nevertheless she does not let this affect her commitments and obligations to MFP. She has plans to expand her grocery store and increase her stock of merchandise. This is Doris’ fourth loan from MFP. She feels good about the work of her communal bank and wants to continue relying on this support. She will continue being punctual in her payments and thus maintain a good credit record so that she will have access to more loans. With the sum of S/. 3000 she has requested she will purchase general groceries to restock her store and will look for the best prices and buy in volume. She will also purchase clothes brought from the capital to sell in her store.

Inés : Peru

Sat, 26 May 2012 00:40:02 PDT

$175 of $1,125 raised.

Started raising funds on May 26, 2012

Inés is 53 years old and a cheerful, friendly, and enterprising woman. She is the mother of seven children, but only two of them (ages 17 and 11) live with her. The rest are grown and independent.

Her work begins when she leaves early to get to her field. Her tasks involve cultivating, irrigating, and preparing the land so that she can plant her "camu camu" crop (a regional fruit). Inés also produces honey. She has been in business for approximately 23 years. Inés learned this trade as a young woman since she was taught by her parents. She now teaches her two young children after they return from school. By helping her, they are able to learn the family business. Inés enjoys her work because she is able to spend time with her children and also generate good sales. The products that are yielded by the land are very good. She ships her products to the city of Lima, where another son is in charge of selling them. Inés hopes to continue earning a living so that she can move forward and begin planting another type of crop.

This will be her fifth loan with MFP. Inés is pleased to know that she will have a loan to help her complete her goals. She promises to be punctual with her payments because she does not want to be on bad terms with her group since everyone is very responsible. The loan amount of 3,000 PEN that she requested will be used to buy seeds and to pay a few workers to help with planting bell peppers so that she can start a new crop.

Mitzy : Peru

Thu, 24 May 2012 11:00:08 PDT

$200 of $950 raised.

Started raising funds on May 24, 2012

Mitzy, 27, is an enterprising, very hardworking woman. She’s married to Carlos who is a salaried employee and father of their only son, Fabrizzio, 3. They live in their own house that they managed to buy thanks to much effort. The activity she does is selling clothes and women’s accessories. To do so she has a boutique she opened in a space she set up in her house. This way she saves rental costs and she takes care of her customers kindly. She’s been in business for more than three years and for the moment works by herself. She likes her work because she earns income to help her husband with household expenses since often his salary as an employee in a private firm was insufficient and also because she has free time to care for her little boy. She considers it to be profitable because she’s succeeded in securing regular customers so she can count on permanent income. She’s planning to open another business selling food on Saturdays and Sundays in partnership with her mother. This is her MFP loan #5 and she feels happy to be able to count on this financial support. She will continue to be punctual with her payments in order to have access to more loans. She will use the 2500 new soles requested to invest half in the purchase of various styles of clothes brought from the capital and the other half will used as working capital for her new food business.

Luz : Peru

Thu, 10 May 2012 18:10:08 PDT

$725 of $1,150 raised.

Started raising funds on May 10, 2012

Luz is 49 years old and an exceptional woman. She lives with Ronald, her husband of 18 years. They have three children: Luz, Jorge, and Edwin. They are cared for in their own home, which is located in the annex of San Pedro de Saño.

Throughout this entire time, she has worked hard to obtain many things. These include a pharmacy where she sells medicines and provides services, such as injections and first aid. Most importantly, her grown daughter helps with managing this business. Luz engages in farming as her main business activity since she began working on the land at a very young age. Her main crops are potatoes and alfalfa. The latter is used as feed for her cows. Luz owns six cows and two bulls for plowing the land. She also prepares cheese for personal consumption and baby's milk produced by her cows. Although she still has children in school, Luz continues to save toward making improvements to her pharmacy. "I want to do this so that I can help my husband who works as a bricklayer," says Luz.

A few months ago, she began selling food on the weekends from a rented space in an area of the city where many people gather. Her main dish is "pachamanca", which is made with different meats, tubers, and vegetables, and cooked in the ground. With this new venture, she is confident of moving forward.

Luz is a member of the San Pedro Communal Bank. This is her 20th loan with MFP and she hopes to accomplish her goals. Luz promises to complete her payments on time. In addition, she is pleased to be part of her group because all of the members are responsible and supportive people. Luz will invest the money she requested in the purchase of supplies for preparing the rich "pachamanca" that only she knows how to make.

Rosa : Peru

Sun, 13 May 2012 20:30:02 PDT

$500 of $1,525 raised.

Started raising funds on May 13, 2012

Rosa is 35 years old. She lives with her husband of twenty years, Feliciano. She has four small children who she cares for in their own house located in the town of Pampa Blanca (White Grass). In the time of planting and harvesting she spends her days in the Andamarca area, where she has her agricultural lands. During this time they stay near the fields, where they prepare the fruits that they will sell in nine months. Since these fields are far away, they also rent other fields close to their house. This is how they can easily grow their crops and sell them. Rosa also buys and sells food items. She buys food products from other farmers and takes them to the market in the city. She sells the items at wholesale prices among the retail items. She makes a good income doing this. This is her primary economic activity. With this activity she hopes to save the most money to use for her working capital. She belongs to the “Pampa Blanca” Community Bank. This is her eighth loan with MFP. She is happy for this opportunity and she has been working with this group for many years. Her companions are people with a great desire to help others. Rosa will invest the money she requests in order to buy corn to sell in the market of her city.

Silvia : Peru

Sun, 20 May 2012 16:40:02 PDT

$275 of $1,325 raised.

Started raising funds on May 20, 2012

Silvia is 40 years old, a hard-working woman and eager to get ahead. She lives with Miqueas, who works in commerce. Fruit of this union they have two beautiful sons; Jordin who is 18 years old and Pablito who is six years old, whom they love very much, inhabiting comfortably in their own house. She makes a living of the rent of small plots of land. She owns an extensive area of land, which she wanted to give it a use and she noticed the need for coal producers to have a space where to prepare their product, then, she decided to give them access and charge them tolls and security. It started over five years ago and so far she has been working alone and has about 50 tenants. She regards hers business as quite profitable one, due to the demand that has and the location close to the area of sawmills, where bring the firewood needed to develop the coal. She likes her business because it gives her an income, which allows her to pay her household expenses and the needs of her minor sons, whom are her source of motivation to get ahead. What she does not like is when it rains constantly because it spoils the access roads, reducing the earnings but still manages to be profitable. Therefore, she plans to continue her business and add a space to do a tourist recreational area. This is the second loan has with the field partner MFP, is grateful for the financial support to continue with her business and move forward with her plans. In addition, she promises to pay her payments punctually as in her previous loan. With the amount requested, 3500 new soles, she will purchase materials such as pipes and other for the maintenance of the water networks, to provide them with a good service to their tenants.

Lidia : Peru

Sun, 20 May 2012 06:30:03 PDT

$300 of $1,325 raised.

Started raising funds on May 20, 2012

Lidia is a very happy 38 year old woman. She lives in her own house along with her son, Julian, who is 12, to whom she provides love and much care since she separated from her husband. Her business is selling food in the shop she has in her house. She is perseverant in the activity she performs and is always in her shop. She considers that it is a job that gives her time for her son and her home chores and with which she can be independent. She has 13 years experience selling groceries, vegetables, and whatever is necessary for housewives. Her customers comer to her shop for the good service that Lidia provides. It is due to this that she always has economic income with which she can pay expenses for her son. Her greatest priority is to increase the products of her business in order to increase sales. This is her 11th loan with MFP. She feels happy to continue having this economic support and being able to continue with her work. In her community bank, she is a member who does not hesitate to give her opinion about work. With the 3,500 new "soles" that she is requesting, she will buy rice, sugar, preserves, meat, among other items.

Casiano : Peru

Mon, 21 May 2012 08:40:02 PDT

$225 of $575 raised.

Started raising funds on May 21, 2012

Casiano, age 34, lives in his own house with his 30 year old wife, Elvira, and their three beloved children. They wish to give their children a better quality of life. His job is passenger transportation. He transports people who need his service. These people are from his own area, and he uses his own “motocarro” (three wheeled motorized vehicle). He started this business activity nine years ago. He says that it has gone well for him. This is because he now has various frequent customers who ask for his service to take them to specific places. What he likes the most about is work is that he always has income to support his family. The most difficult thing is when his motocarro does not work due to some technical problem. That is why he comes to MFP to request a loan to help him continue with his work plans. This way he will continue developing the business activity that he knows how to do the best. This is his first loan with MFP, and he is happy about the support that is being given to him. He pledges to make his payments punctually. He is grateful to his communal bank. He will use the requested loan to buy spare parts for his motocarrro, and he will continue working.

Nancy : Peru

Mon, 21 May 2012 20:50:01 PDT

$225 of $775 raised.

Started raising funds on May 21, 2012

Nancy is a joyful and hardworking mom, lives at home with her two daughters; Greni is 17 and Nicol 7, she dedicates as much time as needed to them to be together. She sells groceries in a store she started out of her house eight years ago. She's done very well since she started, always has sales and income to support her daughters who are studying. What she likes the most about her work is being independent and not having to be apart from her daughters; a big difficulty is when she doesn't have enough merchandise for her customers. Her future plans are to expand the business to sell at wholesale and generate more earnings than now. This is her 7th loan with MFP, she feels happy about the trust they've given her. In her community bank she is a grateful member because she was chosen to be in the board of directors. With the requested loan she will stock with groceries such as rice, milk, canned food, sugar, etc.

Rosales : Peru

Tue, 22 May 2012 16:10:01 PDT

$250 of $1,150 raised.

Started raising funds on May 22, 2012

Rosales is 34 years old, and has been married to his wife Jessica for 8 years. They live with their two children, Víctor and Jean Franco. Their house is located in the community of San Pedro de Saño. For the past 9 years Rosales has made a living working as a builder. He provides his services to different customers who request him. His specialty is building brick and cement houses. Because of Rosales’ extensive experience in construction, he has gained a reputation for the high quality of his work. He hires workmen to help him with the construction work and supervises them to make sure the work is done properly. Rosales’ work has allowed him to quickly increase his income and improve his living conditions, and so he plans to continue working in construction. Rosales’ wife, for her part, started raising small animals to help support the family. She raises animals such as guinea pigs and chickens, which she then sells to the main tourist restaurants in the area. Rosales belongs to the “Cantuta” group, and this is his 13th loan with MFP. He is grateful for the support MFP has provided, since it has allowed him to move forward with his business. He also promises to make all of his payments on time. The other members of his group are all responsible and supportive people. Rosales plans to use the money he is requesting to purchase construction tools and supplies. He will also use the money to buy more guinea pigs and chickens for his wife’s business.

Noemí : Peru

Wed, 23 May 2012 12:00:50 PDT

$225 of $625 raised.

Started raising funds on May 23, 2012

Noemí, 35, is a kind, enterprising woman. She lives with her spouse with whom she has four children who are 18, 16, 6 and 4 years old. They study but also help with household chores. The house they have is theirs and it’s where she shares her days with her spouse and four children who are the motive behind all her efforts and sacrifice since she works much to give them the best. Her work consists in selling groceries and other food items in a small store she set up at home. She awaits her customers from very early on; they come by often because they are sure to find what they are looking for always. She works by herself and has been in business for four years. What she likes is that it gives her time to do other things like make refreshments like lollipops to sell and other types of business where she thinks she might be able to earn a profit. Now she’s doing better because when she started out she didn’t have a clue as to how it was; she took a risk not knowing anything. This is why now she’d like to enlarge her store because she knows that the bigger it is the better profits she’ll have. This is her loan #6 with MFP. Like with the loans she got previously, she commits to be punctual and responsible because everyone in her communal bank is that way and she does not want to be the exception. She will use the 1600 soles requested to buy more merchandise (soft-drinks, conserves, dairy products, juice and others) to sell in her store.

Milton : Peru

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:40:01 PDT

$150 of $1,700 raised.

Started raising funds on May 24, 2012

Milton, age 49, is a friendly and hardworking gentleman. He is separated from his partner, but they live in the same house with their two children. They both own the house since they had worked together to purchase it.

Milton produces citrus fruits and vegetables. He has a field where he works. Milton has been growing citrus fruits for 10 years and vegetables for about 25 years. He does a very good job of working the land, which is why his products are large and of good quality. Many buyers at the wholesale market in his city look for his products. He greatly enjoys his work because he loves being in the fields and in contact with nature. Milton has good customers who know that he has a high-quality product and are willing to pay what he asks. He also has a project that he would like to complete. Milton would like to mechanize his citrus groves by installing an automatic irrigation system and a tube well for better results.

This is his 10th loan with MFP and Milton hopes to use it to continue with his goals. Once again, he is very committed to submitting his payments on time and in a responsible manner. He is very comfortable with his Communal Bank because his fellow group members are very responsible and always supportive of one another. The loan amount of 4,500 PEN that he requested will be used to prepare his land for the winter by purchasing compost, fertilizers, and to pay for labor.

Celia : Peru

Wed, 09 May 2012 10:00:06 PDT

$300 of $1,350 raised.

Started raising funds on May 9, 2012

Celia, 36, is married to Luis; they live in family harmony with their children in their own house located in Chilca. She is a very enterprising person. She’s earned economic support for many years selling food. To date, the activity has been very beneficial because she can do it in the morning and help her children with their school work in the afternoon. The welcome Celia’s work has motivates her to continue and to make future plans. One of them is to open a restaurant and she’s currently in the process of doing so. This is why she’s asking for a loan to invest in the purchase of pots and utensils for her business. With profits obtained she will cover her two children’s schooling costs; they are about to start the school term. This is the 8th MFP loan she’s gotten and she feels grateful for the support she receives. In addition, she promises to be punctual with her installment payments. Celia will use the requested money to buy ingredients to prepare her delicious food dishes.

Flor De María : Peru

Wed, 09 May 2012 10:40:01 PDT

$225 of $1,525 raised.

Started raising funds on May 9, 2012

Flor, age 43, lives with her husband and their two children in a rented house in Huachac. Thirty-five years ago, when she was a little girl, she started learning about farming. So far, farming has been her main income. Ten years ago she noticed the need that people have for wood. Then she started to sell wood wholesale. Together she and her husband get the trunks, and they choose to sell them as supports and as firewood. Her work requires a lot of physical strength in addition to always being ready to buy the wood. There are a lot of opportunities when there are sales at moderate prices. Flor considers her work to be profitable because she can always sell her products at a good price. She has plans to expand her sales areas into other cities. In order to do this, she will put forth great effort to increase her working capital. She belongs to the Santo Domino communal bank, and this is her ninth loan with MFP. She considers her group to be a supportive team that is very united. She is very happy about that. That is the reason that motivates her to continue working hard with the sense of responsibility to maintain this unity. Therefore, she pledges to be punctual with her payments. Flor will use the money from the loan to buy more firewood wholesale. This will help her capital grow quite well.

Magno : Peru

Wed, 09 May 2012 12:10:03 PDT

$275 of $575 raised.

Started raising funds on May 9, 2012

Magno, 37, lives with his spouse, Rudy, and their two daughters: Gracy and Kely. They own their house located in Pilcomayo. His days are centered on preparing delicious dishes that he sells across from a university. He’s known by all the employees and students who without fail come by his business because it’s well-known for the taste of his food. Magno relates that he’s always liked to cook; he used to work as a cook in a mine. He earned good profits there but had to leave that job due to health reasons. Now, his hope is to have a soup restaurant in the city and has started to save money to do so which is why he works weekends in a fast-food restaurant where he’s paid extra money. This is the first loan he’s had with MFP. He feels good about the support he’s getting because he will get encouragement that way and the opportunity to reach his objectives. Magno will use the money requested to buy ingredients to sell “carnero al palo,” [roasted goat] the traditional dish in the area.

Elipio : Peru

Wed, 09 May 2012 12:20:03 PDT

$275 of $775 raised.

Started raising funds on May 9, 2012

Elipio, 61, is a very responsible man who lives with his daughter, Jessica, in the town of Pantipata. His wife died seven years ago. He has been sad since then but he knows that he has to go on with his life because of his daughter, the only family he has left. His finances revolve around agriculture. His main crops are wheat, broad beans, "olluco" [a tuber], and potatoes. He looks after them with a lot of love and care because he knows they depend on his care to get the best results. Since he is a rural man, he also raises cattle and sheep, which he fattens for later sale to the butchers. Thanks to his effort and that of his wife, he managed to acquire several plots of cropland, which he shares with his daughter because he taught her this noble job. He belongs to the Agupata group and this is the third loan he has had with MFP, for which he feels fulfilled because he gets the economic support he needs. Elipio will invest the requested money in buying animals to be able to increase his livestock and consequently his profits.

Royer : Peru

Wed, 09 May 2012 19:30:02 PDT

$350 of $775 raised.

Started raising funds on May 9, 2012

Royer is 24 years old and has lived with his wife Yeny for 5 years. Together they have 2 children: Jean Paul and Ariana. They live in his mother-in-law's house, which is located in the town of Panti Pata. Royer is the only source of support for the family. He is a farmer who cultivates potatoes, tubers, wheat and other tubers on his own land and on some land that he rents, because he does not own enough land. He earns most of his income during the harvest season, when he finally is rewarded for all of his work. However, since he is not farming every day, he started a business buying and selling animals that he raises and later sells for a better price. For now, he says that he will work with a lot of dedication so that he can get more working capital. In addition, he knows that when he inherits his family's land, this will help him to improve his economic situation. Royer belongs to the communal bank "Agu Pata," and this is his second loan with MFP, where he feels that he's developing because he is getting the financial support that he needs. Royer will invest this loan in the purchase of animals so that he can have more livestock.

Antonia : Peru

Sun, 13 May 2012 17:10:03 PDT

$325 of $1,150 raised.

Started raising funds on May 13, 2012

Antonia, 34, has lived with her husband, Alberto, for 12 years. They have 4 children and live in a rented house in Pampa Blanca. Antonia begins her days by collecting firewood to prepare her food. “I like to make the food naturally-I don’t like the modern kitchens”, she says. For this she collects branches that have fallen from trees and sometimes, takes advantage of the walk to let her cows graze. She has 5, all good breeds and one of her businesses is buying and selling the cows. But as a good daughter of the countryside she also plants rented fields with potatoes, corn, quinoa and beans. During the time of the potato harvest, she takes the crop to the capital of the country where there are good buyers. But she sells the other products in her own city since she has regular customers. For the future she has many projects, one of which is to build her own house and begin to save money so that she can have her own fields. She belongs to the Pampa Blanca communal bank and this is her 8th loan with MFP. She is happy now that she has many years working with the group since the members are very supportive of each other. Antonia will use the requested money to buy island guano ((guano, a natural fertilizer collected from one of the Peruvian islands) for her next corn crop.

Julia : Peru

Tue, 15 May 2012 11:40:03 PDT

$200 of $575 raised.

Started raising funds on May 15, 2012

Julia, 38, lives with the father of her three children (Jordy, Joran and Wilson). They all live together in her own house located in the Bellavista Huaracayo settlement in Tarma. She’s been working in agriculture since she was 17 years old. She currently plants corn, peas, lima beans and potatoes in her own fields located half an hour away from her house. Despite a demanding job, what she likes best is the support she gets from her husband. “My husband does the heaviest work; while he harvests, I take the products to market,” she mentions. Julia also buys and sells choclo (unripe corn). To do so she goes all the way to the city of Lima and at the same time takes merchandise she gets in her own locality there. One of her goals is to increase corn and pea production and to do so she must invest more capital. She belongs to the “Señor de Muruhuay” communal bank and this is MFP loan #10. She feels happy to be able to contribute to her group’s growth and she also promises to be punctual with her installment payments. Julia will earmark the 1500 soles requested to buy three bags of pea seeds to start this crop’s planting season.

John : Peru

Wed, 16 May 2012 15:50:03 PDT

$175 of $1,350 raised.

Started raising funds on May 16, 2012

John, 35, is the father of a beautiful, 11 year old girl, Katerin. His wife is Ruth, 35. They all live together in their own house that’s built of substantial materials. With much kindness and courtesy, John tends to his customers at his grocery store which is his main activity and one he’s been in for 12 years. He does this work alongside his wife who encourages him every day to move forward and obtain a good quality of life for the family. What he likes best about his work is being able to please his customers with the products he offers them. This activity is what John knows how to do best and this is why he turns to loans to be able to stock up on merchandise. This is his loan #13 with MFP and he assures that he will continue to be punctual with his installment payments. He also is grateful to his fellow communal bank members for being responsible and mutually supportive. He will use the 3500 new soles he’s asking for now to buy sacks of rice and sugar, soft-drinks, vegetables and other foodstuffs for his store.

Marcelina : Peru

Thu, 17 May 2012 10:20:04 PDT

$125 of $1,150 raised.

Started raising funds on May 17, 2012

Marcelina, age 48, lives in her own house with her husband, 51 year old Esteban, and their four beloved children, for whom she provides a good quality of life. She starts working in the very early hours of the morning. First she makes breakfast for her children, and then she sends them to school. After that, she heads to the fields together with her husband. They clear the weeds that make it difficult for the cacao plants to grow and produce fruit. Her greatest desire is to plant more cacao and to have greater production. This is her fifth loan with MFP. She is happy to have this financial support. She pledges to be punctual with her payments and to not make the members of her communal bank look bad. The members rely on her responsibility. She will use the requested 3,000 soles to plant grafts of her cacao plants, and she will use the rest to get fertilizer.

Marciano : Peru

Thu, 17 May 2012 11:00:08 PDT

$125 of $1,150 raised.

Started raising funds on May 17, 2012

Marciano is 57. He is divorced, but responsible for education expenses for his four children, who are his motivation to keep moving forward. He sells clothing, and his shop is located in the local market. He has been doing this for over 33 years, and mentions sales have always gone very well, because he knows how to serve his customers kindly. The people in his town know that Marciano sells the best clothing items. He knows about fashion and gives good advice to every customer. He wishes to continue in this line of work because it is what he knows how to do best, and in time he would like to be able to open branches of his store in different towns. This is his 11th loan with MFP, and he feels happy, because of the trust they offer him. He shows responsibility in paying his installments and also at his communal bank meetings. Marciano will invest the 3,000 nuevos soles he is requesting in stocking his clothing shop with new items of clothing.

Teófilo : Peru

Thu, 17 May 2012 12:30:01 PDT

$150 of $1,150 raised.

Started raising funds on May 17, 2012

Teófilo is 38 years old and lives in a house he is renting. He is a very hard working and persevering man, with a strong desire to get ahead. The business he has had for the past 8 years is selling clothing and shoes. He says he has done well in his business as a result of his strategy to treat his customers in a friendly way. He runs this business on his own. What he likes most about his work is that it allows him to have income as a result of working for himself. He told us that during the hot season is when he has more customers. For this reason it is his priority to increase the merchandise he has in stock. This will be his 5th loan he has taken out with MFP. He is happy to know he has this available as a form of support. He is thankful to his communal bank for being true to their word and for supporting each member. With the loan of 3,000 nuevos soles that he has requested he will buy clothing that is typical to the area, as well as shoes and sandals.

Carmen : Peru

Fri, 18 May 2012 09:50:03 PDT

$200 of $1,325 raised.

Started raising funds on May 18, 2012

Carmen is 31 and lives in her own home with her husband, Nemesio, and her three children. She and her husband would like to provide their children a better life. She cultivates cocoa and coffee, crops that most of the farmers in her area grow for the good profits they yield. Carmen has worked 15 years in this line of work with the help of her spouse, who is responsible for making sure that weeds do not harm the plants. At harvest time hired laborers are used to pick the cocoa and coffee beans. They sell the harvests to local collection centers, which give good profits per kilo. Her priority now is to buy grafted cacoa and coffee to increase production. This will be Carmen's eighth loan with Kiva partner Microfinanzas Prisma and she promises to be punctual with her payments. Also, she would like to thank the members of the communal bank for being supportive and responsible. The $1,325 (3500 PEN) that is being requested will be invested in the purchase of cocoa and coffee plants. With the rest, she will buy sacks of manure to fertilize the plants.

César : Peru

Fri, 18 May 2012 12:40:04 PDT

$125 of $775 raised.

Started raising funds on May 18, 2012

Cesar is 27 years old and single. He is a very hardworking young man and lives in his own home, which is built with rudimentary materials. He has been growing cocoa beans for 5 years. He works on his own, but during the harvest season he hires laborers. What he likes the most about his work is being able to harvest in the company of his friends. And what he finds challenging is having to perform pest control during the rainy season. This is why he comes to the MFP offices, so that he can request a loan that will help him carry out his work plan. Eventually he would like to have more cocoa plants, but for now his priority is maintaining his crops in order to obtain high production. This is his 4th loan with MFP, and he is grateful for the trust deposited in him. For this reason he is committed to paying his installments timely. He is an active member of the communal bank, and he participates in the group's activities. He will use the loan he is presently requesting to purchase manure and other fertilizers to maintain his plants.

Irene : Peru

Sat, 19 May 2012 18:10:03 PDT

$125 of $950 raised.

Started raising funds on May 19, 2012

Irene, age 39, is single and cares for her three children. She wants to provide them with a better quality of life. Irene owns the house in which they live.

Her business involves selling groceries (vegetables, rice, spices, sugar, and other products) from a space established inside of her home. She has been in this business for six years. Irene began working diligently when she realized her ex-husband had stopped providing financial support. However, she has been able to press forward by herself, along with her children, thanks to this business. Normally she works alone, but when her children are not busy with school, they help with the household chores. Over time, she wants to expand her business and generate more sales. At the moment, her priority is buying merchandise for her shop.

This is her seventh loan with MFP and she promises to be punctual with her loan payments. In addition, she appreciates that the members of her Communal Bank are supportive and responsible people. The loan of 2,500 PEN that she is requesting now will be used to restock her store with merchandise.

Cirila : Peru

Fri, 18 May 2012 15:30:03 PDT

$175 of $1,325 raised.

Started raising funds on May 18, 2012

Cirila, age 40, is an active and hardworking woman. She lives in her own home along with her husband Hilario, age 47, and their three beloved children.

Every day, she wakes up early to prepare breakfast for her children before sending them off to school. Afterwards, she heads out toward her parcel of land so that she can oversee her cacao plants. Cirila and her husband work together. They support one another all the time so that they can achieve a good harvest. In the future, she wants to buy cacao buds for grafting so that she can increase her production, but now her priority is to buy another plot of land so that she can expand her property and continue with her business plans.

This is her fifth loan with MFP and she promises to be punctual with her loan payments. In addition, she is grateful that her Communal Bank consists of committed and responsible people. The loan of 3,500 PEN that she requested, along with the savings from her previous harvest, will be used to buy one hectare of farmland.

Luis : Peru

Sun, 20 May 2012 07:01:06 PDT

$225 of $1,150 raised.

Started raising funds on May 20, 2012

Luis, 23, is hardworking and active. He is separated from his partner and his son Diego, who is two years old. In spite of everything, he gives him love and all of his support to grow. His work is tilling the land and cultivating cacao plants, which are very profitable. He has done this work for five years. Normally he works alone, but during harvest time, he has the support of day laborers, who help him harvest the cacao beans more quickly. In time he hopes to expand his land to cultivate more cacao plants and coffee, so that he can earn more income. His priority now is increasing his cacao production. This is his third loan with MFP, and he is thankful for the financial support that he receives to continue with his objectives. He is also glad to be a part of his community bank because the members are responsible people. With the 3000 nuevos soles that he is requesting, he will purchase cacao seedlings to plant in his fields.

Máxima : Peru

Sun, 20 May 2012 16:10:02 PDT

$175 of $1,325 raised.

Started raising funds on May 20, 2012

Maxima is a hardworking woman who is 34 years old. She lives with Filemon, who is 35 years old, in a rented house together with their three children, who are the inspiration for their hard work. For 14 years she has worked in agriculture. She and her husband get up very early to go to the small farm where they produce cocoa, which is the product that generates the most income to support her family. Her favourite thing about working is really dedicating herself to what she is doing, since in this way she can increase her harvests. The thing she finds most difficult about her work is carrying the sacks from harvest from the farm to the town. Her future plans are to have a grocery store, but at the moment she hopes to maintain her crops fertile. This is her third loan with MFP. In her communal bank she feels happy working with people who support her and share their experiences. She is now asking for 3,500 nuevos soles to buy manure and chemical fertilisers to spread over her land.

Emerson : Peru

Mon, 21 May 2012 08:30:02 PDT

$75 of $775 raised.

Started raising funds on May 21, 2012

Emerson is a 28-year-old, hardworking, single man. He rents his home and is seeking better conditions. He has been working at the local health center for 3 years. He likes his work because he can share experiences with his co-workers, and it provides steady income. What he most desires is to settle in his own house. To do this, he wants to buy agricultural land that he can work on weekends. He knows farming and wants to increase his income this way. He is a member of a communal bank and attends the meetings. He is pleased to be working with the other group members, and he promises to make his monthly payments on time. To get this business started, he will use the loan of 2000 nuevos soles to buy land where he can grow cacao.

Inés : Peru

Mon, 21 May 2012 08:40:02 PDT

$75 of $950 raised.

Started raising funds on May 21, 2012

Inés is a 22-year-old woman, who lives with 33-year-old Faustino in their own home where they hope to build a great future. Six months ago, she set up a grocery store in their home, and the business is doing well. What she loves most is serving her customers and watching them return because this generates good income for her. In the future, she hopes to offer wholesale merchandise in her store, a dream she will achieve slowly. Her priority is to stock more merchandise in the shop and continue offering her customers good service. This is her second loan cycle with MFP, and she is grateful for the chance to carry out her work. With the loan of 2000 nuevos soles, she will buy products for the store: cookies, rice, noodles, preserves, sodas, and others.

Natalia : Peru

Mon, 21 May 2012 21:00:04 PDT

$175 of $1,150 raised.

Started raising funds on May 21, 2012

Natalia is a hard-working 48-year-old woman, married to Julio who is 54. They live together in ahome with their four children, to whom they want to offer a better quality of life. She works in agriculture together with her husband. They go to the field very early to determine what is needed for their cacao and coffee plants. To her, work is a priority, that's why she dedicates time to it so they can have a good harvest and sell at good prices. What she likes the most is being able to see abundant fruits after all the effort and she considers that the hardest is when she can't combat the weeds that affect her crops. In spite of this, she doesn't lose hope because this activity is what she can do best. This is her third loan with MFP. She likes being part of a community bank because they are responsible and helpful people. With the 3,000 new soles that she requests she will buy fertilizers to take care of her plants.

Nicanor : Peru

Mon, 21 May 2012 21:00:05 PDT

$125 of $775 raised.

Started raising funds on May 21, 2012

Nicanor is a 20-year-old single young man, he lives at his siblings' house, to whom he thanks for providing a roof to live under. Five months ago he started working as a journeyman of his area. What he likes the most about his job is being with his co-workers, with whom he shares moments of joy; he considers the hardest part to work under very hot weather that is hard to bear. On the weekends he goes to his cacao plant field as he works on two activities to reach his goals. In the future he would like to buy a piece of land to build a house. For now he needs to get rid of weeds and fertilize his plants. This is his second loan with MFP. In his community bank he feels happy for the opportunity to work with them in solidarity. With the 2,000 new soles he requests he will buy fertilizers to spread on his land.

Rosana : Peru

Mon, 21 May 2012 21:10:03 PDT

$125 of $1,150 raised.

Started raising funds on May 21, 2012

Rosana is 30, she lives in a house she rents with her husband Gelasio, 34 and their two beloved children; Henry, 11 and Mariela, 9. Her biggest wish is to give her family a better quality of life. Her main activity consists of agriculture, she has a piece of land with cacao plants. She has worked in this activity for 13 years and together with her husband they maintain the crops. Her products are sold to the pooling centers of her community where they pay very well for each kilogram of cacao beans. What she likes the most about her job is the ability to sell her product easily thanks to having a good quality production. In the future she hopes to expand the land and have a business out of her house, but for now she hopes to finish the roof of her house to live there and stop paying for rent. This is her 6th loan with MFP and she is very happy for the support provided to finish her plans. She is ready to continue paying for her loan punctually and she is happy with her community bank because it's a group of responsible people. The 3,000 new soles that she requests will be invested in the land and she will also buy materials to finish her house.

Ynes : Peru

Mon, 21 May 2012 10:30:03 PDT

$100 of $1,150 raised.

Started raising funds on May 21, 2012

Ynes, 46, is a very hardworking and kind woman. She lives in her own house with her husband Hernán, 46, and her five beloved children, who are the main motivation for her efforts. She sells fuel with the help of her husband. They have a gas station to serve their town. It is one of the busiest ones because they know Ynes and her good treatment and charisma. These characteristics together with the fuel and other good-quality products she sells are what made her one of the favorites. What she likes most about her job is talking with her customers. After three years of work she considers the most difficult thing to be having to stay with her job all day and night. For the future she hopes to increase the products in her business, which are fuel, motor oil, and others. This is her seventh loan with MFP and she is ready to continue making her payments on time. She participates in all the meetings in her communal bank. With the 3,000 nuevos soles [PEN] that she is requesting, she will be able to increase the products she sells in her gas station.

Efraín : Peru

Tue, 22 May 2012 00:30:01 PDT

$150 of $400 raised.

Started raising funds on May 22, 2012

Efraín, 20, lives with Nancy and they have a 3-year-old son named Jeyni. They live in their own house in the native community of Chanchamayo. He has three patches of cropland where here carries out his main activity, agriculture. He grows ginger, coffee, bananas, and a few yuccas for family consumption. He learned everything he knows during the four years he has worked in the fields. "From the banana crop I harvest 15 truckloads of 1,200 kilos each. It is going well for me", he says. He also uses his parents' car to transport passengers on Saturdays and Sundays. And he earns an additional income from a small store he set up in his house which his partner, Nancy, manages. Efraín has many plans, among which is to have a good enough economy to give his young family a better lifestyle. Then he wants to buy property in the city and build a house. This is his first loan through MFP and he is committed to paying it back on time. He says he is comfortable with his communal bank "Los Pomporitos de San Cristóbal", which he just joined, because all the members are hard workers and punctual. He plans to use the loan to buy bags of fertilizer and hire workers to clear the land for his crop activity.

Moisés : Peru

Tue, 22 May 2012 11:10:08 PDT

$75 of $400 raised.

Started raising funds on May 22, 2012

Moisés, 42, is a very responsible man living with Natalia, his wife, for the last 20 years. They have two minor children, Abel and Angelis, who they care for in his own house located in Batanyacu. From a very young age he worked in construction as a bricklayer; it gave him everything he needed to subsist. But a short time ago he had an accident and since then his leg has had a pin in it and it’s in a cast. As a result of this he started selling candy in his local school where he earns what’s necessary to survive. At night, he guards the store at the school where he lives and earns a monthly salary doing that. He knows that he’ll get better soon and will be able to resume the occupation he likes and that produced good household income. On the other hand, his wife sells slippers via catalogue to residents in his zone. She and Moisés take turns in order to sell more quickly. This is his first MFP loan and he is grateful for the support he’s getting because he gets working capital he needs to be able to work and make progress in his business. He promises to be punctual with his installment payments since all the members of his association are supportive, responsible people. Moisés will use the requested money to buy candy and soft-drinks as well as slippers to sell.

Rayda : Peru

Tue, 22 May 2012 11:30:01 PDT

$75 of $400 raised.

Started raising funds on May 22, 2012

Rayda, 24, lives with Manuel, her husband. They have four children, all small. The house they live in is rented and located in Batanyacu. Her daily work consists in selling sandals and beauty supplies via catalogue. She is very well-known among the residents in her zone which is why they receive the goods she sells with confidence. She also started selling leather jackets, lingerie and shirts four years ago and has regular customers for them. She is very dedicated to her work; she’s always busy and with the drive to get ahead. Because of this she hopes very soon to have her own auto painting business because that’s what her husband works at for a firm. “That business is profitable and by saving capital I will open one of my own,” she affirms. She belongs to the “Las Mujeres Del Éxito” (Women of Success) group and this is her first MFP loan. She is grateful for the support she’s getting because she acquires the working capital she needs to work and make business progress. She promises to be punctual with her installment payments because the members of her association are supportive, responsible people. Rayda will use the requested money to buy shirts and jackets to sell.

Alejandro : Peru

Tue, 22 May 2012 13:40:05 PDT

$100 of $575 raised.

Started raising funds on May 22, 2012

Alejandro, 31, has been married to Luisa for three years. They have a daughter, Nayely, for whom they care in their own house located in the town of Pampas. When he was very young he began to earn his own income working in various jobs. One of them is agriculture, a trade he inherited from his parents. The years went by and he formed his family, and he and his wife also do this work. Currently they have crop lands inherited from his parents where they began to grow potatoes, corn, and other tubers, all with the help of his wife, who manages the income and expenditures. Alejandro also began to work in construction as a bricklayer. He has a lot of contracts to finish, one of which is a dairy-products factory in a ranching area of the city. He hopes to get good profits from that and save what he needs to buy more animals than he has, because he managed to acquire only two bulls, a cow, and two pigs. This is the second loan he has had from MFP, where he got the support he needed so much. This is why he promises to be punctual with his payments, because his communal bank is made up of responsible people. Alejandro will invest the requested money in buying potato seed and natural fertilizer to nourish his crops.

Florentino : Peru

Tue, 22 May 2012 14:30:06 PDT

$125 of $1,150 raised.

Started raising funds on May 22, 2012

Florentino is 28 years old, he has been married to Yolanda for 4 years, they have three young children, and they live in a house that they rent in Pampas. His dream came true a few years ago when he opened his own Chinese food restaurant. From the early morning hours until late at night, thanks to his good cooking and great customer service, he attracts and serves many customers. The weekends are when he earns most of his income because that is when most people spend time with their families and eat the delicious dishes that he prepares. Because he is busy cooking (which requires a lot of effort), his wife helps serve the customers (she is the waitress). Now his next project is to complete the building of his own home. A few years ago he bought land (the house is already very close to completion) and now he hopes to complete this other dream. This is his second loan from MFP, where he received the support for everything he needed. He promises to be punctual with his payments because the association is comprised of responsible people. Florentino will invest the money in the purchase of ingredients for the preparation of food in his restaurant. With a part of the money, he will also buy wood and other materials to finish building his home.

Arístides : Peru

Tue, 22 May 2012 15:00:11 PDT

$150 of $1,525 raised.

Started raising funds on May 22, 2012

Arístides is 46 years old, he is single, and he is a worker. He lives with his sisters and nephews for whom he loves and cares for very much. They own the house that they live in and it is located in Pampas. During the day he stays in the region because that is where his farmland is located, and he cares for his potatoes, peas, and corn crops. The sales of his crops depend on the price set at the market. For example, if people find that the prices are low, then the crops are sold there. But if there is a demand, then he takes his crops to the capital where he can make a bigger profit. Additionally, he buys and sells cattle. He now has two cows that he will soon sell. He will also begin to buy bulls and sheep that he will sell in the cattle market in the city. Right now his project is to improve the quality of his potatoes because he is one of only a few farmers that grow organic potatoes. They contain natural nutrients and are characterized by their large size. He belongs to the group "La Colpa" and this is his forth loan with MFP. He is thankful for the support that MFP provides because he has access to the capital he needs to be able to work and grow his business. Furthermore, he promises to be punctual with his payments because the association is comprised of responsible people. Arístides will invest the money from this loan in the purchase of chicken manure (natural fertilizer) for the next planting cycle of his peas and potatoes.

Teodora : Peru

Tue, 22 May 2012 15:00:12 PDT

$100 of $950 raised.

Started raising funds on May 22, 2012

66-year old Teodora has been married to Héctor for fifty years and they had seven children. Now only one of them still lives with them, and they care for him in their own house in San Pedro de Saño. Twelve years ago Teodora opened a grocery store in her house so they could have a calmer life when her husband retired from his job as a laborer in a mine. They decided to carry on working, but on their own terms. Teodora’s main responsibility is serving in the shop. She makes the most sales when there are festivities in the town, such as Fiestas Patronales, Fiestas Patrias, Día de los Santos etc. Teodora takes advantage of every opportunity to earn more money. She’s always ready to try something new and improve the store. And as she comes from farming parents, she always plants potatoes, beans, and corn which she sells when the prices in the market are good. Of course the prices are cheaper for her children. Currently Teodora is recuperating from appendicitis. She belongs to the Cantuta group, and this is the 13th loan she has had with MFP with whom she is very pleased. She receives support from the institution for her business. Teodora promises to make the repayments punctually as her group is made up of responsible, committed people. She will use her share of the money to stock her store with good quality items.

Anatolio : Peru

Tue, 22 May 2012 15:00:12 PDT

$100 of $400 raised.

Started raising funds on May 22, 2012

Anatolio is a very hardworking man. He’s 40 years old and lives in his own house with his wife, Victoria, 30, and their three children. His work is in the fields where he grows cocoa beans. He’s been in this activity for 15 years and during harvest season hires day workers to help him extract the beans more quickly. He sells his harvests in his local gathering centers where he earns good profits because they are of very good quality. In time, he’d like to expand his fields and grow more cocoa bean plants but for now he needs to eliminate the weeds that harm and prevent their good growth. This is his 4th MFP loan and once again he is grateful for the support he’s being given. He also assures that he will continue to be punctual with his installment payments. He is a very active, participative member in his communal bank’s meetings. He will use the loan he’s requesting now to buy manure to spread among his fields.

Sofía : Peru

Tue, 22 May 2012 15:40:02 PDT

$75 of $775 raised.

Started raising funds on May 22, 2012

Sofia is 59 years old, divorced,and she lives in her own house together with her children; Carmen who is 22 years old and Miriam 19 years old. She makes a living selling groceries (evaporated milk, rice, sugar, vegetables, beverages and others). She has been doing this work for 10 years and normally she works alone. Her daughters help her, however, when she needs to go to the city to get merchandise. Her business is very profitable as she has enough income to help with the educational expenses of her daughters and also to purchase the necessities of her home. In time she would like to enlarge her house to be able to have a larger space for her business. This is loan number 5 with MFP and once again she promises to be punctual with her payments. Additionally she thanks the members of her community bank for their confidence in her. With the 2000 new soles that she is requesting she will supply her business with more merchandise.

Edinson : Peru

Thu, 24 May 2012 18:10:03 PDT

$50 of $775 raised.

Started raising funds on May 24, 2012

Edinson, age 35, is a good man who is also hardworking and has business insight. He is single and has no children, so everything he earns is set aside for his parents. Edinson lives with them now, along with his sister. He has dedicated much of his life to providing the best for his family and improving their quality of life. His work consists of buying dry goods, such as corn and beans. The corn is processed so that it can be sold as chicken feed. He has a small grain mill that he shares with a friend and another member. They work and sell at the central market of the city and at various posts within the city. Edinson has been in this line of work for four years and it has allowed him to become independent and earn income. What he enjoys about his work is always having time available and taking pleasure in being able to walk around the entire city. He is doing well and earns an average return of 15% from his investment, which is then reinvested every three days. Like all young entrepreneurs, Edinson wants to have his own shop where he can process his goods himself and generate more income. For now, he is accumulating the capital he needs so that he can continue investing in what he has.

This is his fourth loan with MFP. Once again, just as he did with his previous loans, he promises to complete his loan payments. Edinson is also grateful to be part of his Communal Bank because all of the members are responsible and supportive people. The amount of 2,000 PEN that he requested will be used to buy more corn kernels so that he can continue his processing business. He will also acquire beans that he can sell in bulk.

Ana : Peru

Thu, 24 May 2012 11:30:02 PDT

$50 of $475 raised.

Started raising funds on May 24, 2012

Ana is 36 years old and the mother of three children. Her oldest child lives with his father, while the two younger ones (ages 12 and 11) live with her and her current partner. Ana lives at her mother's house with her siblings. She strives very hard to provide a better quality of life for her children.

Her work consists of selling accessories as a street vendor. Among the items she offers are toys, necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and other items for little girls. She leaves her home every day and walks through the streets in search of customers. Ana has been working in this business for three years. She works alone and is now well-prepared to handle her job. When she started, she had many difficulties. Ana did not know what strategies to use to attract customers. Now she is good at what she does on a daily basis and is always getting better. She is grateful for her work because it enables her to make use of her time and she generates good earnings with an average return of 50% on her investment. In order to move forward, Ana hopes to open a store, but for now she just wants to increase her capital so that she can invest more into her business.

This will be her second loan with MFP. Ana is very excited to know that she will have financial backing. She promises to be a committed member who always submits her payments on time. Ana notes that her Communal Bank is starting to work well together, so she hopes that trend will pick up quickly. The loan amount of 1,200 PEN that she requested will be used to by merchandise to sell.

Isabel : Peru

Wed, 23 May 2012 18:50:02 PDT

$100 of $450 raised.

Started raising funds on May 23, 2012

Isabel is a hard-working and industrious - as well as friendly and kind - 35-year-old woman. Her partner is Richard and he is the father of their three children: Hill, age 16, Claus, age 15, and Yadira, age 13. Together they live in their own home. Isabel works selling clothing and shoes, which she does by making monthly trips to the capital to look for and buy the best styles at the best prices. She started this business more than six years ago, and she considers it worthwhile due to the profit she makes - with which she can pay for household expenses and her daughter's education. This is her way of supporting her partner and getting ahead together as a family. Previously they had financial troubles, and her partner's income wasn't enough to cover all the expenses of groceries, clothing, and others. But since she's begun to work she's been very satisfied with her business. She has plans to grow the business and open a boutique in her home. This is Isabel's third loan with MFP. She says that she's very happy with her community bank, and considers it a united and supportive group. With the requested amount of 1200 PEN, she will purchase more clothing and shoes brought from the capital.

Rosa : Peru

Thu, 24 May 2012 11:20:02 PDT

$75 of $750 raised.

Started raising funds on May 24, 2012

Rosa is 50 years old and she is an entrepreneurial, cheerful, and very hard-working woman. She is married to Esteban who is employed and the father of their two children. Naida is 18 years old and Brayan is 16 years old. They live together in their own home and their nephew also lives with them, so that they can help support his education. Rosa sells food in the evening, such as fried rice, fried chicken, barbeque chicken, and other dishes such as these. She sells the food from a table in front of her home on Saturdays and Sundays. Her children help her with the business. They also sell drinks that they keep cold (which their customers like) in a refrigerator. She began both businesses 7 years ago. She likes to work and have an income with which she can help her husband pay the household expenses, especially since the salary of public employees doesn't pay enough to provide healthcare. She is happy to be productive and busy. In time, she hopes to grow her beverage business by buying another refrigerator. This is her seventh loan from MFP. She likes working with the community bank and hopes to continue to be a part of it, especially since the members are all considered responsible and dependable people. With this loan of 2000 nuevos soles, she will purchase more beverages, food, and ingredients for the preparation of her dishes.

Carmi : Peru

Fri, 25 May 2012 11:30:02 PDT

$50 of $775 raised.

Started raising funds on May 25, 2012

Carmi, 33, is a dedicated, hardworking woman besides being kind and cordial. She’s married to Jerson who works in transportation and is the father of their three children: Judith, 12, Jesmin, 8 and Daniel, 4. The house they live in is their property. Her activity is selling clothes. To do so she makes periodic trips to the capital where she does her purchases looking for better prices and styles. Sometimes her cousin sends her clothes since she lives in that city. She also sells beauty products via catalogue her main customers being her friends, family members and coworkers at the school she works at as a teacher. She’s been in business more than three years and likes it because she earns her own additional income to cover household expenses and her daughter’s educational costs. She used to have more economic problems because her salary was insufficient. This is her second MFP loan so she hopes to make her plans a reality. She also feels comfortable in the communal bank she belongs to because she considers them to be a united, mutually supportive group. She will use the requested 2000 new soles to buy more clothes and beauty products increasing her stock of merchandise.

Edward : Peru

Fri, 25 May 2012 12:30:04 PDT

$50 of $575 raised.

Started raising funds on May 25, 2012

Edward, 44, is a hardworking, good, very responsible man. He and his wife have three children who are 19, 18 and 16 years old. He works hard every day to provide them with a better quality of life. The house they live in his property and was the result of much effort and work. He grows citrus fruit. He has a field he started 16 years ago. At first he had just a few citric plants but gradually and with much effort he planted one by one and grew. In addition to this activity he has an additional income producing business: he sells beverages (beer) at home that he sells only to adults. He mentions that what’s good about his work is that he can manage his own time. Before this he used to work for others and that didn’t produce much profit; he’s better now and he’d like to be even better still. This is his fifth loan with MFP and he’s very happy to know that he’ll have financial support to advance with his business. He commits once more to make his installment payments like he did with the previous loans he got. He’s happy to belong to his communal bank because all the members are responsible and mutually supportive. He will use the requested 1500 soles to buy beverages to sell. He’ll also acquire tools to clear his fields and hire some people to help him with the work.

Olimpio : Peru

Wed, 09 May 2012 10:50:03 PDT

$175 of $475 raised.

Started raising funds on May 9, 2012

Olimpio, 68, lives with his wife and two children who he loves very much. He lives in family harmony in his own house located in El Tambo. Always responsible, he rises every morning convinced that he’ll run into his customers who have bought basic staples from him for more than 31 years. He decided to open a grocery store at home taking advantage of it being located on one of his neighborhood’s main avenues. He’s open every day alongside his wife and always supplies his clientele with what they need providing kind, warm service which is why his customers are loyal to his store. His store is the busiest in the zone and the seasons when sales are best are during feast days and Christmas; his wish is to stay in business. Olimpio belongs to a solidarity group and this is MFP loan #19. He’s one of the longest-standing members of the group and always motivates the other members to be united, responsible and very cooperative with the various activities. He also enjoys this work because he says that it fills him with satisfaction and vitality to get ahead. He will use the requested money to buy basic staple items to stock his grocery store.

Katia : Peru

Wed, 09 May 2012 11:20:03 PDT

$75 of $1,525 raised.

Started raising funds on May 9, 2012

Katia is 45 years old and is a very hardworking woman. She has taken care of her daughter Berenice all her life, since she and her husband separated a long time ago. Now, with optimism, she makes a living in the town of El Tambo. Her days revolve around work, and she has several jobs during the day. Starting early in the morning, she takes care of some little girls in a house. There she gets paid a fixed monthly salary, which she uses to cover her needs in the home. In the evenings, she puts on an apron and, with her exceptional hands and her eagerness to get ahead, she starts preparing the delicious pastries and cakes that her customers come for every day. She doesn't get discouraged, she enjoyes working at night, and even though she gets a little tired, she struggles to give her daughter a better quality of life, and that motivates her. That is why she never wastes time. On the contrary, on weekends she also sells beauty products, which provides some more income, since she has been offering this service for years. This is how Katia earns a living. Her dream is to have a large, well-stocked bakery that may be well renouned for the delicious flavor of her sweets. This is her ninth loan with MFP. She enjoys moving forward with her group, because it has helped her all along to get ahead with her business. That is why she promises to pay her installments timely. Katia will invest the requested money in purchasing a large electric mixer to make her delicious cakes and pastries.

Adolfo : Peru

Wed, 09 May 2012 11:50:03 PDT

$100 of $575 raised.

Started raising funds on May 9, 2012

Adolfo, 54, is an exemplary man. He lives with Elorica, his wife of 20 years. They have a son, José Luis, who they care for with love and affection. They have a house of their own in Usibamba. All his life he’s worked in agriculture and animal husbandry. Since then he did not rest until he was able to buy his own car. He says that thanks to the 8 cows he has he was able to save up what was necessary because he’s offered good prices at the cheese factory where he sells it for the milk his cows produce . He produces on average 30-32 liters per day and he also plants various crops like potatoes, lima beans, peas and olluco [a tuber] which currently are just for home consumption. Money from his profits helped him to buy his car that he drives as a taxi. Now, he wants to improve the quality of his cows to increase his herd size and earn more income. He belongs to the “Los Ganaderos” (The Cattlemen) group and this is the second loan with MFP. He promises to make his installment payments and he’s also pleased to be part of his association because all the members are responsible, very supportive people. Adolfo will use the requested money to buy alfalfa seed for the cattle feed.

Rosa : Peru

Wed, 09 May 2012 12:40:03 PDT

$150 of $400 raised.

Started raising funds on May 9, 2012

Rosa is 57 years old. She is a very happy woman. She lives with her husband, Raúl, whom she has been married to for the past 20 years. They have three children together, but only two of them are still living at home. Their house, which they own, is located in the San Pedro of Saño annex. Her principal income generating activity is farming. She has crops of corn and potatoes, which she cares for well so that she can guarantee a good harvest. Each year during harvest the same purchasers come to her land to negotiate a price for her products. The support of her husband is vital; they make decisions together to work past difficulties they are faced with, like lack of laborers or pests that are affecting their crops. She also raises farm animals; she raises cows which provide milk that she later sells to other community members. She also has a small grocery store in her house. In the future, Rosa wants to buy more agricultural land, because she would like to be able to pant larger crops. She belongs to the communal bank group "San Pedro" and this is the 8th loan she has taken out with MFP. She promises, once again, to make the payments on time. She is thankful to be a part of her communal bank because the members are responsible and a united group. Rosa will invest the money that she has requested to buy supplies to restock her store.

Luz : Peru

Mon, 14 May 2012 14:50:20 PDT

$100 of $1,525 raised.

Started raising funds on May 14, 2012

Luz, 55, has lived with her husband, Tomas, for the past 33 years. They have 5 children whom they cared for and raised with a great deal of love. Now they live alone in their own house in the Cajas Chico distict. She is a very hard-working woman who sells sweets and drinks in the morning in a local public school. From Monday to Friday she visits the students and teachers so that they buy the sweets. Also, some years ago she bought 2 cars which she uses to transport people. Her husband helps with this since he is the driver of one of the cars. Besides she sells "habas crocantes" (typical Peruvian snack) to various stores where she goes 3 times a week. Luz makes good money because many people know her. She also takes advantage of holidays to sell timely items depending on the occasion. She says, “I like to be active”. Luz belongs to Las Wanquitas group and this is the fifteenth loan with MFP. She is happy because of the financial support and she feels confident that she can advance with her work. Luz promises to make all the payments on time. She appreciates being part of the association since all of the members are responsible and supportive. She will use the requested money to buy sweets to sell from her stand. She also wants to purchase shoes to sell in the city market.

Yolanda : Peru

Fri, 11 May 2012 10:00:10 PDT

$25 of $575 raised.

Started raising funds on May 11, 2012

Yolanda, 34, is married to Wilder; they have two children (11 and 9 years old). They all live together in a family member’s house in San Ramón-Chanchamayo District. She’s carried out various activities throughout her life. At present, she sells meat door to door. It’s very demanding work but she does it with much enthusiasm in order to move her family ahead. “I’ve been selling beef, pork and lamb for four years,” she mentions. To do so, she visits wholesale butchers to buy her merchandise that she then sells to restaurants and to families who know her and trust the quality of meats she offers. Sales are profitable. She buys a kilo of beef for 10 soles and sells it for 12, earning 2 soles per kilo. Later on she wants to sell more products and for now will start with cheeses. One of her objective is to live in a house of her own and will continue working hard to accomplish this. This would be Yolanda’s first loan from MFP so she gives her word that she’ll pay her installments punctually. Besides, she says that it pleases her to work with hardworking, responsible people like the ones in her “Las Triunfadoras” (The Successful Ones) communal bank. She will use the requested money to buy several kilos of meat and cheeses to offer to her customers.

Camila : Peru

Fri, 11 May 2012 09:40:02 PDT

$75 of $400 raised.

Started raising funds on May 11, 2012

Camila is 29 years old. She is a single mother and has two children who are 14 and 7 years old. They live together in her relatives' house which is located in San Ramón district, Chanchamayo. Camila is a brave woman with a strong character. Her business is selling cosmetics, perfume and clothing through catalogs. "I have been in this business for almost three years and I can't complain. It is profitable", she says. This business opened many doors to Camila because she had contact with people who, over time, became friends and offered to work with her in other potential businesses such as selling cell phones. However, she says that her cosmetics business does much better. She is now a sales promoter for several brands and receives gifts each time she gains customers. One of her goals is to build her own home and provide her children with a little privacy. This is the first time that Camila has requested a loan from MFP and she pledges to be responsible in making her monthly repayments. She is a member of 'Las Triunfadoras' community bank and feels happy with her fellow group members because they are supportive and hard working people. Camila will use the money that she has requested to buy merchandise for the period leading up to Mothers Day. This will allow her to fill orders that people have made with her.

Lizandro : Peru

Fri, 11 May 2012 10:30:03 PDT

$0 of $575 raised.

Started raising funds on May 11, 2012

Lizandro is 30 years old and married to Marisol. The couple have five children who they care for and love very much. They live in a house belonging to some family members which is located in San Ramón - Chanchamayo, Peru. Lizandro is a charming and cheerful man. He currently works as a security guard in a state institution. He has been in this position for more than a year and he feels comfortable with his job as it makes him a fixed monthly age. In his free time he works on construction sites so that he can make extra income and afford himself some pleasures. He also has a business selling groceries and basic household products. This business is located in his home and his wife, Marisol, and his children work in it. "We buy our products wholesale early in the morning. We buy the freshest products" he says. In this way, he is able to provide his children with clothing and an education. One of his goals is to build his own home. He will continue working and saving in order to achieve this. This is the first time that Lizandro has applied for a loan from MFP. He gives his word that he will make his monthly repayments punctually. He is a member of the 'Las Triunfadoras' community bank whose members are mostly women. He says that he will be steadfast as regards his work within the group. Lizandro will use the money he has requested to buy the merchandise he needs to stock his grocery business such as rice, sugar, oil, canned food and kilos of meat.

América : Peru

Fri, 11 May 2012 10:40:03 PDT

$75 of $400 raised.

Started raising funds on May 11, 2012

América, 34, is a single mother of three children (10, 7 and 3 years old). She and her children live in a rented house in the San Ramón-Tarma District. She is a very dedicated woman. Since she separated from the father of her children she learned to work in a variety of activities. She started off selling beauty products and then helping a relative in a restaurant. Now, she makes cakes, pies, cookies, etc. that she sells house to house. “I like making cakes. It distracts me and I took advantage of this to start a business,” she mentions. Her customers know her and know that her products are delicious which is why she’s been in business four years. Thanks to her tireless effort, she’s able to give her children education, food and clothing. She feels proud of her accomplishments. Now, she’d like to acquire a new oven to expand production and later on open a pastry shop in a fixed locale. This would be her first MFP loan so she gives her word of honor that she’ll pay her monthly installments punctually. She affirms that she likes the idea of working in her “Las Triunfadoras” (The Successful Ones) communal bank to get a push toward attaining her objectives. She will use the requested money to buy ingredients to make cakes, pies and cookies.

Lucila : Peru

Fri, 11 May 2012 10:40:03 PDT

$150 of $575 raised.

Started raising funds on May 11, 2012

Lucila is 52 years old, and is married to Teodoro. They have six children, and three of their children still depend on them. They live in a rented house in the district of San Ramón, Chanchamayo. Lucila makes a living selling mobile phone accessories, such as chargers, cases, cords, etc. She also sells computer accessories, such as USB memory cards, microphones, headsets, etc. She sells her products from her home. She also has seven computers that she offers to students and neighbors in her area for internet services and purposes. “Things are going really well for me. First, I started out just selling accessories. Since that business went well, I decided to open the internet business,” she comments. She has recently employed a young man to help with attending to clients. In addition, her husband makes a living repairing cell phones. Thanks to him, Lucila was able to start her accessories business. One of her goals for the near future is to acquire more computers for her internet business so that she can accommodate a larger client base. This will be her first loan with MFP, and she has promised to be responsible with monthly payments. She is also a member of the community bank, “Las Triunfadoras” (The Triumphant), and she is excited about the work that is before her. With the money from the loan, she plans to purchase cell phone accessories such as: chargers, cases, cords, headsets, etc, for resale to her clients.

Olga : Peru

Sun, 13 May 2012 11:40:02 PDT

$75 of $400 raised.

Started raising funds on May 13, 2012

Olga, 43, lives with Miguel, with whom she has four children, although only three of them (ages 19, 18, and 12) are currently in her care. They all live in a rented house located in the district of San Ramón, Chanchamayo. She is a woman who makes the most of every moment to do business. Since a year ago she has sold beauty products via catalogue, and in this time she attracted regular customers who order from her. For this reason she also currently sells clothing, perfume, jewelry, shoes, kitchen items, and other things, all through catalogues and of different brands. "It is going well for me in this business, and for it to be profitable depends on how I get in touch with the customers," she comments. She also says that previously she sold chicken but that it did not go as well for her as it does now. On the other hand, her husband works in a store selling cement and receives a fixed monthly salary. One of her goals is to build her own house and give her family greater comforts. This is the first time she has come to MFP for a loan, and this is why she is confident she will make her monthly payments punctually. She belongs to the recent communal bank Mujeres Trabajadoras and yearns to help in such a way that the group will grow. She will invest the money she is requesting now in buying shoes because she has pressing orders.

Sadita : Peru

Sun, 13 May 2012 11:00:13 PDT

$100 of $400 raised.

Started raising funds on May 13, 2012

Sadita is 29 years old, she lives with her partner, with whom she has 2 children (who are 11 and 8 years old). They live in a rented house located in the district of San Ramón - Chanchamayo. She sells clothes for a living, which she offers and sells house to house. She has been doing this for 3 years and considers it a profitable activity. "Twice a month I travel to Lima (capital city) to purchase my merchandise", she says. The products she sells the most are children clothes and polo shirts. Thanks to the direct contact with customers she has been able to span another type of business, which is the sale beauty products through catalogs, and she also does well in this activity; in addition to making a profit, she received awards because of the amount of sales she makes. She has been doing the latter activity for 7 months. One of her main problems is the lack of capital to purchase her products. "That's why we are taking it slow, because I'd like to open a clothing store but there's no budget to do it", she mentions as one of the goals she yearns for the most. This is the first time Sadita requests MFP for a loan, reason why she promises to be on time with her repayments. She belongs to "Mujeres Trabajadoras" communal bank and feels comfortable having supportive people as partners. She will invest the requested loan money in the purchase of clothes, and in order to get them she will travel to Lima city to buy the products at wholesale.

Viviana : Peru

Sun, 13 May 2012 11:20:04 PDT

$75 of $400 raised.

Started raising funds on May 13, 2012

Viviana is 29 years old, she lives with her partner with whom she has a 6 years old child. She lives with her family in a rented house located in the district of San Ramón - Chanchamayo. She sells fruits and vegetables for a living. She has had this business for about half a year, thanks to the advice her parents gave her to get it up and running. "I was a little wary, but it is profitable, it depends on the price at which I get the fruits at wholesale", she says. Viviana is constantly traveling to the farmers' orchards to buy merchandise at a lower price. "This is the season of citrus fruits and it is a good one", she adds. She has a stand at the local market, but since she is doing well she is considering taking her merchandise to other cities, reason why she will have to invest more and contact other customers, this is one of her short-term goals. For the future, she hopes to consolidate her activity properly and to secure a decent future for her family, mainly for her son who is still very young. This is the first time Viviana gets a loan from MFP, which is why she promises to be on time with her monthly repayments. She belongs to "Mujeres Trabajadoras" communal bank, and she feels comfortable with friends who are also her group partners. She will invest the loan money she is requesting in the purchase of several boxes of fruit (oranges, tangerines, pineapples and papayas) to stock up her business.

Marlene : Peru

Sun, 13 May 2012 11:50:03 PDT

$25 of $1,150 raised.

Started raising funds on May 13, 2012

Marlene is 31 years old, she lives together with Beltrán, who is the father of their 4 children, whose ages range between 3 and 11 years old. They live in a house of their own located in the district of Perené - Chanchamayo. She is a tireless and hard working woman. She has been selling clothes at her city's Sunday markets for 5 years at a stand she rents for her business. "I'm doing well, polo shirts and pants is what I sell the most", she says. Also, she mentions that she is concerned with offering pretty and fashionable clothes, which is why she sells them so easily. Marlene is constantly traveling to Lima (capital city) to acquire the merchandise she needs, she invests from 2000 to 3000 soles for that, but she ends up getting them back and making a profit. Since she is not a conformist, this month she will work in agriculture in a plot of land she acquired. She will grow coffee and bananas. One of her goals is to get a car to move with more ease, since her crops are located far away from her home. This is the first time Marlene gets an MFP loan. As far as she is concerned, she says she will be on time with her monthly repayments. She will invest all the money she is asking for in the purchase of merchandise, this is, all kinds of clothes to sell at her stand and at Sunday markets.

Epifanio : Peru

Sun, 13 May 2012 18:10:04 PDT

$75 of $1,525 raised.

Started raising funds on May 13, 2012

Epifanio is 62 years old. He is a hard-working man who lives in the company of his beloved wife, Reina, with whom he has been married for 35 years. They have 7 children, but only one living with them--Frank, who they care for with a lot of love. They have their own home located in the village of Santa Cuz, Acostambo. He is characterized for being a simple, unassuming person. Eighteen years ago he began working the earth and producing from it. He also works in the business of buying and selling cattle, from which he obtains good profits. He comments that this is the main income of his family, since he can't live off only the agriculture. "The earnings are only acquired seasonally," he comments. With the passing of time, he formed his family, for which he now feels proud. Since then, he dedicated his time to planting potatos, barley, beans, quinoa, peas, and other crops. "All I'm missing are the lentils," he comments with affection. In all of this time, he acquired experience and skill in the businesses, so much that he could buy his own fields. He owns many cows, from which he acquires milk to sell; in this way he earns extra money and has milk for his family's consumption as well. Now he plans to acquire bulls, which he will fatten to sell them later in the local fair, since in a few months, in August, the sale price doubles because of the festival. This is the 16th loan that he has had with MFP and he is happy to have the financial support; he feels confident to proceed with his work. On the other side, he promises to complete his payments. Moreover, he is grateful to be a part of his association, where all of the members are very supportive and responsible people. Epifanio will invest the money he requested in the purchase of two small bulls, to fatten them and begin his plans.

Arturo : Peru

Wed, 16 May 2012 00:20:01 PDT

$125 of $1,450 raised.

Started raising funds on May 16, 2012

Arturo is 53 years old and has lived 12 years with Felicia, the mother of his only daughter Joselin. They live in their own home in the neighborhood of Bellavista in Tarma.

Arturo engages in many activities. For the past 30 years, he has been providing transportation services to passengers with his own vehicle. With the earnings he obtained, he began raising animals, such as guinea pigs and pigs, and fattening them for eventual resale at the wholesale market in the city. "For each pig, I earn between 300 to 400 PEN, which suits me fine," mentions Arturo. Now he also sells grains and ground kernels. In order to start this business, he had to acquire a grain mill to facilitate his work. He is able to produce flour made from quinoa, maca root, soybeans, corn, and other grains. Arturo says he has done very well. He buys his supplies in Lima and then grinds the grains to produce flour. His output is double the original weight and sold by the kilo. As an enterprising and visionary man, Arturo now plans to spend time raising larger animals, such as cows and bulls. He will raise them and then sell them in the city.

He is a member of the Communal Bank "Señor de Muruhuay" and is comfortable working as part of a solidarity group. This will be his fifth loan with MFP and he is confident that he can accomplish his goals as a result of this support. In addition, he promises to be punctual with his loan payments. Arturo, with the money he requested, will buy five calves to raise for eventual resale. In addition, he will buy supplies, such as kernels and grains, so that he can continue his flour business.

Delfina : Peru

Tue, 15 May 2012 11:20:02 PDT

$100 of $400 raised.

Started raising funds on May 15, 2012

Delfina, 35, lives with Ángel with whom she has three children who are 18, 14 and 3 years old. They own the house they live in and it’s located in Huasahuasi District in Tarma. She gets ahead with the activity she was taught as a little girl: agriculture. This activity is her main economic support by means of which she hopes to reach her objectives. Fifteen years ago she started to plant potatoes and peas and in time learned how to grow corn, lima beans and some greens. Ángel, her husband, helps her with her tasks. She uses both her own fields and others she leases to do her work. Every time she harvests she sells her products in the city’s wholesale market. “The problem is getting to the fields because they are very far away and it takes two hours to reach them,” she indicates. The rough terrain in her area is the main difficulty. But she does not give up and continues to work. Thanks to this activity she’s able to educate her children and have a better quality of life. This is her second MFP loan. She’s been a member of “Unión Huachán” communal bank for a year and a half and she likes the work they do. She will use the money she’s requesting to buy a bag of pea seeds that costs 600 soles and three sacks of fertilizer at 120 soles each.

Alina : Peru

Tue, 15 May 2012 15:30:02 PDT

$125 of $775 raised.

Started raising funds on May 15, 2012

Alina, 33, lives with Diego with whom she has two children: Sarai and Cristofer. Her house is hers and it’s located in Huaracayo settlement in Tarma. She is a woman in agriculture. Every morning she heads out to the settlement where the farmland is located where she’s growing potatoes, corn, peas and greens. “The work is tiring even more so when planting or harvest seasons arrive which is why my husband and I hire personnel,” she affirms. One of the inconveniences she has to deal with every planting season is the infestations that attack the fruit but Alina is persistent and intelligent and knows how to counteract these problems. She has several parcels of land and when harvest time comes she has to invest much money to pay staff and that’s why she plants each month. For example, planting her spinach crop will be paid for by profits from cauliflower sales. To do so, Alina has to work in a coordinated fashion with her husband. She belongs to the “Señor de Muruhuay” communal bank and this is her 4th loan with MFP. She feels grateful for the support provided to date and that’s why she says she’ll make her monthly installment payments punctually. Alina will use the requested money to complete her budget to buy five sacks of pea seeds that will cost her approximately 2800 soles.

Benedicta : Peru

Wed, 16 May 2012 15:30:03 PDT

$100 of $775 raised.

Started raising funds on May 16, 2012

Kind and unassuming is Benedicta, 34. She lives in her own house with her husband, Julio, 41. During the years of their marriage they have had four children who they provide a good education for so that they will become upstanding citizens in the future. For 9 years she worked selling groceries like rice, sugar, conserves, soft-drinks and snacks, among others. She carries out this work in a market stand in her location and always has her children’s support as well as her husband’s. She comments that what she most likes about her work is being able to treat her customers kindly since this is the way of winning over people’s trust; she always has to be vigilant because this is how good income from sales is attained. Her greatest wish is that her children finish their schooling and become professionals and this is why she tries to earn good profits consistently every day. This is loan #6 with MFP and she feels grateful for the economic support to continue meeting her business goals. She also feels fortunate to work with responsible fellow members of her communal bank. She will use the 2000 new soles to stock up on merchandise for her business.

Margoth : Peru

Thu, 17 May 2012 12:00:05 PDT

$75 of $1,350 raised.

Started raising funds on May 17, 2012

Margoth, 38, is a brave, dedicated woman who together with her children, Cristian, 15 and Danny, 8 lives in her own house. The activity she carries out is the sale of all types of footwear; she has a stand in her local market. For her, work is the most beneficial thing she can do because it also gives her time to take care of her children who are students. On the other hand, what’s difficult for her is when her stand is almost empty and she runs out of merchandise. Her greatest hope is that her children become professionals and for the moment she’s prioritizing her business’ growth with exclusive styles of shoes to attract more customers. This is her second MFP loan. She feels grateful to know that she can continue to count on economic support. At the same time, she commits to continue being punctual with her installment payments. She’s an active, participatory member in her communal bank meetings. She will use the loan she’s requesting now to travel to the city to buy the best shoes that are in season.

Mario : Peru

Thu, 17 May 2012 12:00:07 PDT

$100 of $1,150 raised.

Started raising funds on May 17, 2012

Mario, 64, is both father and mother to his two children, Liliana, 26, and Clever, 24, who continue at their father’s side supporting him at all times. They live together in the house he managed to buy with his late wife. Since his wife died, Mario has had to take over the operation of the shoe stand they have in the local market alone as well as to watch over his children’s schooling and wellbeing. He’s been knowledgeable about this type of business since the age of 24 and with his kindness and good service he succeeds in having customers approach to buy the various styles he sells. Mario comments that he always has income and does well with his sales which is why he calls on MFP loans to reach his future objectives. This is his loan #13 with MFP which is why he feels happy to know, once again, that he can count on this support. He commits to continue to be punctual with his payments and he thanks his communal band for being very responsible people. He will use the requested loan to buy a variety of shoes to stock his sales stand.

Sonia : Peru

Thu, 17 May 2012 12:10:03 PDT

$75 of $1,350 raised.

Started raising funds on May 17, 2012

Sonia is a very hard working and responsible woman. She is 31 years old and lives in her own home with her husband, Richard, who is 32 years old and her daughter, Sheila, who is 9 years old. She loves her daughter very much and wants to be able to provide her with a better quality of life. She makes a living selling clothing from a stand in her local market. She has been doing this type of work for the past 11 years, and has been supported by her husband in her business. He supports her in her sales and is also who travels to the city to buy the merchandise she sells. The thing she likes most about her work is that it allows her to pay the household expenses. The thing she considers most difficult about her business is having to go to the city to buy merchandise, because it means risking being robbed. This is her 13th loan with MFP. She is very happy to work with this communal bank because the members are supportive and committed. With the loan she has requested she will buy a variety of clothing, for children, teenagers and adults.

Albina : Peru

Fri, 18 May 2012 09:00:45 PDT

$100 of $400 raised.

Started raising funds on May 18, 2012

Albina is 27 years old. She lives in her own house with her two small children, Darío (7 years old) and Aldair (3 years old). For her, her children are the most important thing in her life. The activity which she carries out is the sale of soft drinks from a stall which she set up in her home. She has been working in this way for 5 years and she says that the most difficult days are during periods of rain when people don't often come to her stall. This work is worthwhile as she always has an income which helps her with her needs and her children's education. In time, she would like to open a grocery store in order to have even more economic stability, but her priority now is to buy a freezer so that she can cool drinks as quickly as possible. This is her first loan with MFP, and she is happy to receive financial assistance so that she can continue her work. She is an active member of her community bank and is grateful to be part of this scheme. With the 1,000 nuevos soles which she is now requesting she will buy the freezer she so badly needs.

Elizabeth : Peru

Sat, 19 May 2012 21:40:03 PDT

$75 of $400 raised.

Started raising funds on May 19, 2012

Elizabeth is 33 years old and the wife of Cayo, age 34. She is the mother of Soledad (age 14) and Adriel (age 11). They live together in their own home, which they acquired through great effort. It is made of solid materials.

Elizabeth and her husband earn their living by working the land, cultivating cacao plants. Their products are sold at the local collection center. They are compensated very well for each kilo since their products are of good quality. She has been in this line of work for more than 13 years and knows that her crops can be impacted by weeds if she is not diligent.

Elizabeth visited the offices of MFP so that she could continue with her business plans. Her greatest wish is to see her children become professionals and have a better quality of life. This will be her sixth loan with MFP and she is grateful for the opportunity that has been given to her. In her Communal Bank, she is a very active and supportive member. The money she is requesting now will be used to buy cement and paint so that she can complete the exterior of her home.

Franci : Peru

Sat, 19 May 2012 22:40:02 PDT

$50 of $400 raised.

Started raising funds on May 19, 2012

Franci is 42 years old and lives with Bertha. They have six children, but only three live with them since they are still students. Franci and his family live in their own home in the indigenous community of Santa Rosa in Chanchamayo.

He is a farmer and has a plot of land that measures 600 square meters, where he has planted bananas, cassava, and citrus fruits. He also has 15 parcels of land that are not producing, but he hopes to have the money to buy seeds, fertilizers, and other supplies. "I intend to plant coffee and cacao because the prices are good," Franci says of his short-term goal.

He has been in this line of work for almost 10 years and enjoys taking charge of his crops. Franci keeps himself occupied by going out into the field and organizing his crops out in the open. Through his business, he was able to provide an education for his three grown children who are no longer living with him. He continues to do the same for the three younger ones. His future goals include increasing his production, improving his sales, and providing his family with a decent home with all of the basic necessities.

This is his eighth loan with MFP. Franci gives his word that he will submit his payments on time. He signed an agreement to work with his Communal Bank "Las Rositas de Ubiriki" (The Little Roses of Ubiriki) because his group is organized and trustworthy. Franci will invest the money he requested in the payment for services provided by workers, who will be hired to clear his fields for planting bananas, cassava, and oranges.

Senobia : Peru

Fri, 18 May 2012 16:30:02 PDT

$0 of $575 raised.

Started raising funds on May 18, 2012

Senobia is 47 years old. She lives with Urbano, the father of her 6 children, and 3 of her children who are aged 18, 14 and 10. She and her family live in their own house in an indigenous community in Chanchamayo. She is a woman with good values and a friendly nature. She works in agriculture, an activity which she learnt from her parents as a child. She has a half plot of land where she produces bananas and cassava, and on another plot of land she cultivates citrus fruits such as oranges, mandarins, tangelos, sweet limes, etc. But the product which brings her the highest income in few sales is the annatto, used as a natural colourant. "Just half a plot of land provides me with around 500 kilos of annatto and each kilo is worth 5 soles - some years the price rises up to 11 soles", she says confirming its profitability. Senobia receives the support of her husband for this arduous work, but on some days the work is more tiring so she hires labourers who she pays by the day. Thanks to her effort, Senobia has educated 3 of her children, now adults, and she will continue to do the same with the younger children. She is currently engaged in harvesting the citrus fruits, but one of her next goals is to try sowing coffee. To do this she will look for a plot of land far away, where the climate is more suitable for this product. This is her eighth loan from MFP and as a result she is ready to pay her quotas responsibly. She belongs to the communal bank "Las Rositas de Ubiriki", a well-organised and collaborating group. With the money which she is requesting, she will be able to pay the labourers who will clean her fruit crops and provide assistance with the annatto harvest.

Rolando : Peru

Fri, 18 May 2012 16:10:17 PDT

$0 of $775 raised.

Started raising funds on May 18, 2012

Rolando is 35 years old. He lives with Luisa, the mother of his 4 children. The oldest of them is 14 years old and the youngest is hardly 2. All of them live in their own house located in a native community in Chanchamayo. He is an innovative and adventurous man. He is a farmer and grows bananas and oranges on a parcel of land, but he also grows date palms. "I plant date palms and grow them up to a meter and a half, then sell them in the city of Lima", he says. This business is new and unique in his area, due to which he constantly has to travel to the capital of the country. The date palms need 8 months to grow to the right size to be harvested; they are sold for ornamental use, for parks and gardens in other cities. His business is profitable. The months when his sales increase are September, October, and November. In those months he moves 60 to 80 plants. Rolando confides that he will increase his production of date palms, as well as other produce, but for that he needs the loans from MFP. This is his 8th loan, so he promises to be punctual in his monthly repayments. He belongs to the "Las Rositas de Ubiriki" ("The Little Roses of Ubiriki") communal bank, a group with which he identifies, and which he likes because of the supportive work the members do. With the money he is now requesting, he will purchase date palm seeds and bags of fertilizer to grow them.

Ruth : Peru

Fri, 18 May 2012 17:00:33 PDT

$100 of $400 raised.

Started raising funds on May 18, 2012

Ruth is 22 years old. She lives with Walter, with whom she has two children who are three years old. She is also 8 months pregnant with a third child. They live in their own house in the indigenous community of Santa Rosa in Chanchamayo. She works with great dedication for the future of her family. Since she joined her life with Walter's, she started to work where she could find employment, but with her characteristic intelligence, she decided two months ago to open a business selling groceries and basic supplies. "I started out selling frozen drinks, and now my store is well-stocked", she said. She also rents plots where she grows oranges and bananas; she pays the rent with the money she makes from the fruit that she harvests. She has been doing this for one year with the help of her husband. She spends the majority of her time in her store and taking care of her small children. Thus, she needs to hire help someone to help her in the fields. She says that the her business has recently begun to stabilize and allow her to sustain her family, but she is confident that with the support of these loans and her effort she will be able to achieve a better quality of life for her children. This is the first loan Ruth is seeking from MFP. For this reason she is determined to make her repayments punctually. She joined the communal bank "Las Rositas de Ubiriki", where she feels comfortable and enjoys having responsible companions. With the funds she is seeking, she will buy merchandise to stock her grocery store. The remainder will be to pay the laborers who harvest her crops.

Olga : Peru

Fri, 18 May 2012 17:10:02 PDT

$0 of $775 raised.

Started raising funds on May 18, 2012

Olga is 27 years old and lives with Jaime, the father of her two children, aged 4 and 7 years. They live together in their own house in the indigenous community of Chanchamayo. She has worked in agriculture for 8 years; she started this at the same time she arrived in this area to start her family with her husband. The work in the fields is tiring but she likes it because it is enjoyable to harvest her crops. In all these years she has learned to cultivate many different crops, such as citrus fruits (oranges, tangerines, mandarins, tangelos, sweet limes), achiote, bananas and yucas. "I spend the majority of my time pulling weeds in my fields", she says. She also fertilizes her land with the help of her husband and day laborers that she hires. Her business of selling fruit is profitable. "Every month I send bananas, achiote and citrus fruits to Lima (the capital city). Last year I harvested 400 kilograms of achiote from just half a plot, and the sales were very good", she proudly adds. Olga wants to open a business seling food near the entrance of her community. She wishes to offer breakfast and lunch to people who are passing through. She is confident in her dedication and efforts in this endeavor. This will be her first loan through MSP and says that she will make her repayments punctually. She just joined the communal bank “Las Rositas de Ubiriki”, a solid and responsible group. With the proceeds from the loan she will be able to aquire yuca seeds and fertilizer for her banana trees.

Joaquín : Peru

Fri, 18 May 2012 18:00:12 PDT

$50 of $775 raised.

Started raising funds on May 18, 2012

Joaquín is 44 years old and lives with Sandra, whom he has been with for a little while. They want to have children, but they want to acquire some comforts for their home first before welcoming new members of the family. They live in a house they built in the native community of Chanchamayo, Peru. Joaquín has lived in the area for 23 years, and since then has made a living growing citrus fruit, coffee and annatto distinctly distributed over eight plots of land. "It suits me to plant more coffee and annatto. It's harvested once a year, but it sells immediately," he says. Currently he is harvesting oranges and mandarins, which he sells within his community since the buyers already know the quality of his fruit and visit him to acquire the products. With the support of hired day laborers he can cover the eight areas of crops he has. The work is far from easy, so Sandra does her part by bringing food and cold drinks, and when the meals are finished she picks up field-working tools to help out. Joaquín's plans for the near future are to increase his coffee and annatto production by buying new seedlings to put in the empty spaces and also changing out the coffee plants that aren't producing for new ones. This is his eighth loan with Kiva partner MFP. He belongs to the "Las Rositas de Ubiriki" community bank, where he feels satisfied with the work carried out over all these loan cycles as a responsible member. With the money he is requesting, he plans to hire day laborers to clean his crops and use the rest to purchase sacks of fertilizer for his citrus and coffee plants.

Sofía : Peru

Fri, 18 May 2012 18:30:02 PDT

$25 of $575 raised.

Started raising funds on May 18, 2012

Sofía is 46 years old, lives with her husband Mario and has six children, of whom only four live with them in a home they own in the native community of Perené, Peru. Sofía carries out a number of tasks. She starts the day tending to her family so they too begin their daily activities, and she dedicates herself to her fields of crops before finishing the day with her household responsibilities. She currently has five plots of fertile land that her community provided, on which she plants tangerines, annatto, coffee, bananas, yucca, star fruit and cocoa. "Planting everything suits me well because every crop is harvested in specific months, so my family is supplied for the entire years," she says. Producing citrus fruits is common in her community, so buyers arrive after the harvest to acquire her products, saving her transportation costs. Sofía receives the support of her husband, who works on delivering and tending the crops. Thanks to her hard work she has been able to feed, clothe and educate her children. Her near-term goals are to expand her plots and increase her production, for which she plans to invest in the purchase of land and fertilizer. This is her eighth loan with Kiva partner MFP, and she promises to be punctual with her payments. She belongs to the "Las Rositas de Ubiriki" community bank, and feels good about being part of such a united and organized group. She plans to use the money she is requesting to purchase fertilizers for her citrus and cocoa crops, whose harvest beings this month. She will also hire workers to carry out these tasks.

Benito : Peru

Fri, 18 May 2012 19:10:03 PDT

$25 of $575 raised.

Started raising funds on May 18, 2012

Benito is 42 years old and lives with Isabel, with whom he has two children, ages 18 and 16. They all live together in their own home in the native community of Chanchamayo, Peru. As a farmer, he has the character to take on this activity and schedules his plantings in such a way that his harvests coincide with the months where they will fetch the best prices. He currently has five parcels producing citrus fruits, coffee, bananas and avocado. Benito has lived in this community since he was 8 years old, so he is well known in the area and knows how to successfully grow fruit. "Right now harvesting oranges and mandarins is lucrative. The prices are good," he says. He also has two vehicles to transport the products locally. In the future, he hopes to add more land to plant coffee and increase his production. "Organic coffee has more demand," he says. This will be his eighth loan with Kiva partner MFP, and he promises to make his payments on time. He belongs to the "Las Rositas de Ubiriki" community bank, one of the tightest-knit groups in the area, and for his part, Benito shows enthusiasm for the group's activities. With the money he is requesting, he plans to purchase a machine to optimize the cleaning of his crops. He estimates it will cost him 1,600 soles.

Victoria : Peru

Fri, 18 May 2012 19:30:03 PDT

$50 of $1,150 raised.

Started raising funds on May 18, 2012

Victoria is 53 years old, married and lives with two of her seven children in their own home in the native community of Santa Rosa de Ubiriki in Chanchamayo, Peru. Despite her age, Victoria has worked in the fields with the same vigor for the past 20 years, dedicating herself to agriculture. She is a native of the city of Huancayo and came to the central jungle to start a family, and since that time she learned how to grow citrus fruits, yucca and pineapple. She has a parcel of citrus fruit and seven of pineapple. "Growing pineapple suits me. The price is good and so is the demand, although its in season for only two months. It helps me with the yucca," she says. With this activity she was able to have a large family and continue working. Now she plans to grow other crops like oranges and mandarins to stock up on fruit and generate income during other months. This is her eighth loan with Kiva partner MFP, and she promises to make her payments on time. Victoria belongs to "Las Rositas de Ubiriki" community bank, and feels good about being part of a united group of responsible people. She plans to use the money she is requesting to purchase pineapple seeds and bags of fertilizer to plant more fruits. She also will pay workers to take out the manure and clean her crops.

Ayda : Peru

Sat, 19 May 2012 22:10:02 PDT

$75 of $1,525 raised.

Started raising funds on May 19, 2012

Ayda is 34 years old and is a hard-working and determined woman. She is also very kind and amiable with people. She lives with Raul, who works in forestry and is the father of her two daughters: Greysi, age 17, and Andrea, age 15. They own the home in which they live. Her job is selling a variety of merchandise such as jewellery, clothing and beauty products, all of good quality and in a variety of fashionable styles. Her merchandise is acquired through her trips to the capital, and she sells it from her home to her neighbors and friends. She treats them in a friendly and cordial way, and they recommend her to other people. She decided to start this business because she needed more income to meet her needs, as she was unable to pay for certain necessities. She was able to do this more than 2 years ago with the help of a loan from MFP. Until now she has been doing it alone, although her partner helps her sometimes in seeking new clients. She considers her business to be profitable, because her earnings from it help to pay bills and to educate her daughters. Now, seeing the income that she has earned, she wants to invest in opening a store in her home, where she can sell her products. This is her second loan with MFP. Because of this she commits to making her payments so as to have a good credit record. With the amount requested, 4000 nuevos soles, she will invest in buying a variety of clothing and jewellery to sell in her house. She will seek out good prices so as to increase her earnings.

Sofía : Peru

Sun, 20 May 2012 06:30:02 PDT

$75 of $575 raised.

Started raising funds on May 20, 2012

Sofía, 45, is a hardworking and enterprising woman who, in addition to being nice and friendly, is very eager to get ahead. She is separated from the father of her children and lives in her own house with her three children, Marvin who is 24, Karen who is 22 and Marlon who is 10 years old. She also has a granddaughter who is two years old. Sofía works selling groceries staples in a store located in her home. She set up a space where she could accommodate her merchandise. She started this business more than four months ago with a bank loan. Her daughter mainly looks after the store since Sofía has a job providing cleaning services to a bank in her town. She considers her business quite profitable since her products are staples and people need to buy them every day, giving her capital a constant rotation. Additionally, with their kindness and good treatment, she and her daughter have earned the preference of their neighbors. Before starting this store, she did not have financial problems, but she wanted to generate additional income to improve her financial situation and give her daughter a job. She saw an opportunity in her neighborhood, since there were no bodegas in that area. Seeing the good results that she is having, she wants to continue with the business and increase her stock of merchandise. This is her third loan with MFP. She is happy to know that she will have the financial support to advance her business. She promises to be responsible with her payments, as she has been with her previous loans, so that she will be able to have access to other loans in the future. With the loan requested for 1500 nuevos soles, she will purchase groceries to stock her store, so that her products will be varied and ready to be sold.

Delky : Peru

Sun, 20 May 2012 07:20:02 PDT

$75 of $775 raised.

Started raising funds on May 20, 2012

Delky is a 29-year-old hard-working woman, is eager to make progress, and is friendly and cordial with people. She lives with Javier, who makes a living through transport and is the father of their two children: Natali and José, who are 4 and 2-years-old respectively. Together they live comfortably in the house that they bought with great effort. Her work is selling food products (drinks and groceries) in a small store set up in her home where she very kindly serves her customers, most of which are her neighbors. She began it more than four years ago with a bank loan, plus her savings, buying in small quantities. Seeing the reception that her business had she decided to continue, and so far she carries out the attention to the public alone. She considers her business to be profitable based on the earnings it leaves her, since it allows her to support her family and reinvest. She decided to start her business by needing to have a job and to have financial income in order to help her partner support their family. In the future she wishes to convert it into a thriving enterprise. Therefore, seeing the results that she continues to have, she wants to increase her stock of products and see her business grow. This is her second loan with the MFP institution. Therefore, she promises to complete her payments, as with the previous loan, and thus have a good credit profile and access to other loans in the future. With the amount she has asked for, 2000 nuevos soles, she will invest in the purchase of merchandise for her business, like carbonated drinks, general groceries, and other items; seeking low prices for her bulk purchases and thus keeping inventory available for sale.

Yulver : Peru

Mon, 21 May 2012 21:10:03 PDT

$0 of $400 raised.

Started raising funds on May 21, 2012

Yulver, 37, lives with his wife Roselin and their two children. They own their home in the district of Palcamayo, Talma. Yulver takes great pains in all the work he does, especially in farming which is his main source of sustenance. On land that he owns, he plants spinach, peas, carrots and flowers. "My products sell well in the wholesale market, but the most profitable to plant are peas and flowers," he says. What he likes most about his job is working outside without a set schedule. In the more than 25 years that he's been in this trade, he thinks the hardest part is getting his products from the land to the market because he constantly has to hire laborers. He has unconditional support from his wife, who tends to him when he goes out to work because she knows it's for the good of the family. One of his goals is to improve his crops and plant more flowers (gladiolas) for the month of November, which is when prices increase favorably. This is his 5th loan with MFP. He promises to make his monthly payments punctually. He belongs to the village bank "Virgen Maria", a solid group with good and responsible members. With the money he will be able to buy a bag of pea seeds (550 soles). The rest will be used to pay the workers that he will hire.

Susana : Peru

Mon, 21 May 2012 22:20:02 PDT

$50 of $950 raised.

Started raising funds on May 21, 2012

Susana is 37 years old and married to Remigio with whom she has five children. Four of the children live with them and they are 15, 13, 10 and 8 years old. They live in the own home located in the native community of Chanchamayo. She has worked in agriculture since she was a young girl. She has two parcels of land where she grows three varieties of bananas: Isla, Bellaco and lLargo. She also cultivates cacao on half a parcel. Susana says "I have been growing cacao for years and it benefits me because each kilogram is being sold now for 6.50 soles but there are months that it increases to 11 soles". Even though prices are lower, she considers this fruit to be the one that gives her the most satisfaction. Her harvest occurs once a year and meanwhile she makes money harvesting bananas every twenty days. The main problem that she found in all these years, being a woman from the countryside, is the lack of capital. She is grateful for the support from MFP. Thanks to the coordinated efforts of her husband and herself, they can cover the basic necessities of their children. Susana is not a conformist and therefore wants to increase her cacao harvest and continue with agriculture because she has a good command of it and it gives her pleasure. This is her fifth credit with MFP. She is committed to making her payments on time, as she has done in the past. She belongs to the communal bank "Los Pomporitos de San Cristóbal" and she feels comfortable working with these responsible people. With the loan, she will be able to buy banana plants and plant them in the empty spaces of her parcels. She will also pay the day laborers that she will hire for the cleaning and cultivation of her products.

Marcelina : Peru

Mon, 21 May 2012 22:50:01 PDT

$0 of $1,150 raised.

Started raising funds on May 21, 2012

Marcelina is 34 years old and has been married to Luciano for 17 years. They have four children, ages 17, 15, 13, and 11. They own their own house and it is located in the indigenous community of San Cristóbal de Shankivironi in Chanchamayo. She works in agriculture. She has two parcels of land that produce pineapples, bananas, starfruit, coffee, and yucca. She also has half a parcel planted with oranges and three in full harvest. "I am in charge of administering my production and I hire laborers to do the work," she mentions, as she used to also do the hard labor herself. For his part, her husband works at an electricity company where he receives a monthly salary. He travels constantly for his job, to different cities for each project he is assigned to. Marcelina puts a lot of effort into caring for her crops because she knows that with great care she can obtain a good income for her family. She sells the majority of her produce in the city, though once in a while buyers come to her own community. She hopes to improve her produce, especially coffee - one of the best crops - and to thereby improve her quality of life. This is Marcelina's fifth loan with Microfinanzas Prisma, and she mentions that she will be punctual with her repayments. She belongs to the “Los Pomporitos de San Cristóbal” Communal Bank and she identifies with the group to the point that she took on the responsibility of being the treasurer. She will invest the requested money in the purchase of bags of fertilizer and to pay the people she hires to clean and fertilize her coffee crops, which are now in full harvest.

Mateo : Peru

Tue, 22 May 2012 00:40:02 PDT

$0 of $1,150 raised.

Started raising funds on May 22, 2012

Mateo, 43, lives with Antonia and they have five children. They live in their own house in the district of Huasahuasi, Tarma. His expertise is in agriculture, the activity he has been involved in since he was a child. On his cropland he grows potatoes, lima beans and corn. "Yes, the work is tiresome because my land is far away so I have to walk quite a bit", he says. With the help of his wife, who always takes him lunch at the exact time, and his eldest children who always accompany Mateo to work, he can be sure his efforts will be fruitful. One of the problems he is up against is the changing climate in the area, especially the intense cold and rains. But no one can stop him from getting his job done. One of his priority goals is for his eldest children to get a technical or university degree in the city. So he plans to continue working as he has been until now. This will be Mateo's ninth loan through MFP and his communal bank "Nueva Jerusalén", for whom he feels much affection as they are always looking out for him. He plans to use the loan to hire workers to help him sow peas, and also buy three bags of pea seeds (55 PEN each).

Victoria : Peru

Tue, 22 May 2012 12:50:02 PDT

$50 of $575 raised.

Started raising funds on May 22, 2012

Victoria is 42, and lives with Eusebio, her husband of 22 years. They have three children, whom they look after in their own house located in the town of Santa María. As a good parent, she works tirelessly for her children's future. From the early hours of the day, she begins looking after her crops of peas, corn and barley on the farmland she rents, as she still does not have her own. She also owns four cows and three pigs. She sells the milk that the cows produce, an average of 15 to 20 liters a day, which is collected by the milkmen (this is what they call the workers who collect the milk for the dairy products plant). Now she wishes to increase the number of cows she owns, as she hopes to increase her milk production. This is her sixth loan with MFP, where she obtained the support she so much needed. In addition, she promises to make her installment payments on time, as her group is made up of individuals as responsible as she is. Victoria will invest the money applied for in the purchase of sufficient grass to feed her cattle for the rest of the year.

Enedina : Peru

Tue, 22 May 2012 15:00:12 PDT

$0 of $1,525 raised.

Started raising funds on May 22, 2012

Enedina, 36, lives in her own house with her husband, Carlos, 42, and their four children who she wants to provide a better quality of life for. She is a very hardworking woman. She sells groceries in a stand she set up at home. Her husband helps her working in the fields; he grows cocoa beans and coffee. Profits from both activities generate good support to improve their quality of life. What she likes best about her work is that she can have peace of mind because she can take care of her children. This is her 4th MFP loan and she feels happy because of the help provided. She commits to be punctual and to make her installment payments in a responsible way. She will use the requested 4000 new soles to stock her store with groceries. She’ll also buy fertilizer and manure for her parcel of farmland.

Ciro : Peru

Tue, 22 May 2012 15:00:12 PDT

$0 of $400 raised.

Started raising funds on May 22, 2012

Ciro, 39, lives with Rayda, 24, in the house they’ve managed to buy during the time they’ve been together. He enjoys sports very much so he expanded his lot so that he could install a soccer field. He has a store there where he sells beverages and other snacks because after the games they come by his stand for refreshments. He’s been in this activity for two years and he relates that he does very well and always earns income because people, especially youngsters, who come out to play sports come by his stand. This is his first MFP loan and he feels proud for the trust placed in him which is why he commits to be punctual with his installment payments. He also thanks the communal bank for allowing him to be part of such a mutually supportive group. He will use the 1000 new soles he’s requesting to buy soft-drinks, cookies and other products for his stand.

Eugenia : Peru

Tue, 22 May 2012 15:00:12 PDT

$25 of $1,150 raised.

Started raising funds on May 22, 2012

Eugenia is a very hardworking woman; she has three children and lives with her husband in her own house. Her activity is selling groceries in a store she opened at home ten years ago. For her, what is most important at work is to treat her customers with kindness which is why her store is profitable and always produces income. The problem is when the store is empty and not very attractive. In time, she’d like to be a wholesaler. This is her 4th MFP loan and she feels grateful for the financial support. She’s an active, supportive member of her communal bank. She will use the requested 3000 new soles to buy products for her store.

Frida : Peru

Tue, 22 May 2012 15:40:02 PDT

$50 of $775 raised.

Started raising funds on May 22, 2012

Frida, 35, lives in her own house with her husband, Fólder, 35, and their four beloved children. For 20 years she has worked in agriculture, so she is always at her plot of land supervising the growth of her cacao plants. For the harvest she has the help of day laborers who help her extract the product quickly. Later she takes the crop to the distribution societies, where they compensate her very well for her cacao beans. This is her third loan with MFP and she guarantees that she will continue to make her payments on time. In addition, she is happy about working with responsible members in her communal bank. With the 2,000 nuevos soles [PEN] that she is requesting she will be able to weed her land and also buy fertilizer.

Guillermo : Peru

Tue, 22 May 2012 15:10:02 PDT

$50 of $575 raised.

Started raising funds on May 22, 2012

Guillermo, 45, is married to María, 47 and they have four children. He’s a cocoa bean, coffee and coca leaf farmer. He’s been doing this work for 15 years and comments that he hires day laborers to help with harvesting; they help him remove weeds that afflict his crops. After so much time working and thanks to his experience he obtains very good harvests that produce several sacks of product that he takes to sell at the cocoa bean and coffee associations where he’s paid very well for each kilo. This is his second MFP loan so he’s happy that once again he will be able to rely on financial support to continue with his business plans. He is a member of his communal bank who shares his opinions in order to keep the group united. He will use the money requested to buy manure for crop maintenance.

Otilia : Peru

Tue, 22 May 2012 15:40:02 PDT

$50 of $1,150 raised.

Started raising funds on May 22, 2012

Otilia, 42, is father and mother to her five children who she’s providing with a good education. They all live together in her own house made of wood. She grows cocoa bean plants and barbasco [an evergreen shrub] roots. She’s been in this occupation for 20 years and she comments that she gets help from day laborers during harvesting. After harvesting, she sells her production to gathering centers where she earns good profits. What she likes best about her work is being able to be independent and what’s difficult about it is having to combat infestations that afflict her crops. This is her 4th MFP loan and she feels proud of the trust being placed in her to develop her work. Similarly, she thanks her communal bank for working with responsible members. She will use the requested loan to hire day laborers to help her remove weeds from her crops and the rest to apply manure to her parcel.

Eva : Peru

Wed, 23 May 2012 12:00:50 PDT

$25 of $1,450 raised.

Started raising funds on May 23, 2012

Eva is 41 years old. She is a good, kind, and very responsible woman. She is married and is a mother of three children, who are 21, 19, and 15. They are in school and still depend on her for their education, food, and other needs. The family lives in their own home, which she was able to buy with her husband through much struggle. Here she spands her days with her children, while her husband constantly travels to other cities to work temporary jobs. She works selling bakery goods for cash and on credit. She orders wholesale from a bread factory offering various products: cakes such as "piononos" and "queques," whole-wheat breads, etc. She has a small store at home, where she keeps her products. She has been doing this for 8 years and works on her own, but Eva is not a woman to be easily outdone: she also works raising poultry, and growing tomatoes during the season. What she likes about her work is that it allows her time to do all of these things, so that she has several sources of income. This allows her to cover her scheduled loan payments. From now on, she would like to start a new project: to have a restaurant. This is her 18th loan with the MFP institution, so she is committed once again to pay her installments, as with the previous loans. She really enjoys belonging to her communal bank, because its members are very responsible, and most of all, supportive. She will use the requested amount, 3800 soles, to purchase more products to sell, as well as some ingredients and utensils she needs to start her restaurant business.

Irma : Peru

Wed, 23 May 2012 16:40:02 PDT

$0 of $575 raised.

Started raising funds on May 23, 2012

Irma is 53 years old. She is an enterprising, cheerful and very likable woman. She enjoys challenges. Together with her partner, Manuel, she has had two children. Her house is her own, and she lives there with her daughter Farol, age 21, her daughter-in-law and one grandchild. Her business is selling food on weekends. She prepares “juanes” (a regional dish), fried chicken, barbecued meat and other foods. For this purpose, she has a small table installed at the front of her house where she serves her customers in a friendly and cordial manner. She begins her work by getting up very early to buy the ingredients for the day's food preparation. She has more than 15 years with this business, and she has the support of her daughter and her daughter-in-law in serving the customers. She considers her business quite profitable, because she has steady customers and she has been able to win them over with the delicious seasoning of her food. She likes her work, since it has brought her much personal and economic satisfaction, and she has seen it grow little by little. This is her third loan with the MFP institution. She comments that she feels good about her communal bank, since she can count on their ongoing support. With the amount she is requesting, 1500 Peruvian new soles, she will invest in buying groceries and ingredients to prepare a greater variety of her dishes, and she will also buy soft drinks, seeking more convenient prices by purchasing in volume.

Javier : Peru

Wed, 23 May 2012 17:50:02 PDT

$25 of $1,500 raised.

Started raising funds on May 23, 2012

Javier is 42 years old and a hard working and determined man, and also happy and attentive. His partner, Carla, works in commerce and is the mother of his two sons: Leonardo who is 6 years old and Savier who is 8 months old. They are living comfortably in their own home. Javier works breeding, buying and selling chickens. He has two barns with a capacity of 1000 chickens each. His work begins early in the morning, buying the live chickens from poultry farms and later takes them to sell to his customers on the riverboats, who buy them as food for their passengers. He returns to his home in the afternoon. Javier has procured his clients through his contacts, as he was formerly a naval officer. He began his business more than 4 years ago and so far has had the help of his partner who sells from home. He considers his business profitable enough for the earnings it gives him, as he is able to sell all the chickens he buys. He decided to begin this business through the necessity to have a job as he lost his work when he lost his leg due to an accident, and now uses a prosthetic leg. Therefore, seeing the good results that he is having, he wants to enlarge his business and expand his capacity of buying and selling. Furthermore, in the future he wants to open a store in his house. This is his first loan through the institution of MFP. He promises to be dependable making his payments in order to have a good credit record. With the proceeds of the loan, 4000 soles, he will invest in buying more chickens, looking for lower prices since he can buy in bulk. Also he will buy 1000 baby chickens, valued at 1900 soles, and animal feed.

Lilian : Peru

Wed, 23 May 2012 19:30:01 PDT

$25 of $375 raised.

Started raising funds on May 23, 2012

Lilian, 27 years old, is a happy and kind woman. She is also a hard-worker with a great desire to move forward. Her partner is Jorge, who she lives with in their own house with her parents, two brothers, and a nephew. Lilian sells various brands and flavors of soft drinks, in addition to barbecuing on Saturdays and Sundays in front of her house. She has worked in this business for over 20 years and at the moment, she only depends on the occasional help from her brother, who attends to customers when she is out of the house. She considers her business profitable due to the profits that she makes. Previously, she had difficulties since the economic condition in her home was unstable, making it difficult for her to study. Therefore, she looked for a job and started her own business. She likes her job because of the income, and because she can be independent and be in the comfort of her own home, where she has time to dedicate to other activities. She has plans to grow and venture into clothing sales. This is her first loan with the MFP institution. She seeks this financial help so she can achieve her goals. Also, she says that she feels good with the communal bank, and that she likes the work that they fulfill by helping individuals within the group. With this requested sum of 1000 nuevo soles, she will invest in buying merchandise to stock her business with drinks, looking for the lowest prices in cash and volume for her purchases.

Rosa : Peru

Fri, 25 May 2012 10:10:02 PDT

$0 of $575 raised.

Started raising funds on May 25, 2012

Rosa, age 61, is a hardworking and industrious woman. In addition, she is cordial and friendly. Rosa is married to Cayo, who works as a cook, and lives with him and her father. Her children are already grown and independent.

Her business activity involves selling food including breakfasts, lunches, and snacks. She performs her work from home, where she remodeled a space and opened her restaurant. Rosa is open for service in the mornings and afternoons. Her customers include travelers who pass through the area, neighbors, and friends. She started this business approximately five years ago with her husband, who is the cook, and with the use of a bank loan. Rosa enjoys her work because it enables her to earn an income for covering the household expenses. She had many financial needs and her husband was earning a low salary when he worked as a cook at another restaurant. Now she feels very relieved to have her own business. Rosa also has plans for expansion so that she can accommodate more customers.

This will be her sixth loan with the MFP organization. She expects this opportunity will finalize her plans. Rosa is very pleased with her Communal Bank because she considers her group to be unified and supportive. The amount of 1,500 PEN that she requested will be invested in groceries and ingredients for preparing her dishes. She will also make a few improvements to her establishment, such as repairs to the floors and walls, as well as acquire more chairs and tables.

Francisco : Peru

Thu, 24 May 2012 01:40:01 PDT

$0 of $450 raised.

Started raising funds on May 24, 2012

Francisco, 55, is a good, kind man who is very responsible. He is married and has two children who are adults and live independently. He is also a grandfather with a 16-year-old granddaughter who lives with him and depends on him and his wife for a good education and upbringing. He has his own house where he provided all he could to his children and now to his granddaughter. His work consists of transporting cargo and passengers by motorcycle, in and around the city and depending on where his customers need to go. He has been in business for eight years; and it took much effort to get started, as he was not accustomed to this type of work and had health problems (kidneys). Over time he figured out how to do his job better and now he is an expert. What he enjoys about his work is that he can manage his own schedule and take whatever time off he needs. He also has a means of transport for the family. He does not feel any pressure carrying out his activity although business is not at its best because demand is down. But he is thinking about opening a grocery store in his home for extra income. This is his eighth loan through MFP. He is happy about the financial support and is sure this will help him advance in his work. Also, he is committed to paying it back on time as with his previous loans. He likes the communal bank he belongs to because everyone is responsible and supportive of each other. He plans to use the 1,200 PEN to buy spare parts for his vehicle and pay the mechanic for all the repairs. He will also buy a permit to work in the city.

José : Peru

Thu, 24 May 2012 02:10:02 PDT

$25 of $575 raised.

Started raising funds on May 24, 2012

José, 32, lives with his partner and 10-year-old son, who he works hard for in order to provide him with a good education and nutrition. He rents motorcycles for a living and gets up very early to meet the drivers who pay him daily. Apart from this business he works at a bakery, where he has been able to save enough money over a five-year period to buy the two motorcycles. This also allows him to earn extra income on a daily basis for the household, so things are going well for him. This is his second loan through MFP. It will allow him to continue with his objectives. He is committed to paying it back on time and working well with the group he belongs to, the members of which are all good, kind people and very united. With the 1,500 PEN he plans to buy spare parts for his vehicles and renovate his business permit which is about to expire.

Juana : Peru

Thu, 24 May 2012 02:20:02 PDT

$25 of $375 raised.

Started raising funds on May 24, 2012

Juana, 64, is a kind, good woman who is very determined. She is single, but the mother of six children who are all adults and independent. She lives in her own house and decided long ago to work hard to educate and feed her children. They are now grown and help out with her expenses when necessary. She is involved in three different business activities. The first is selling groceries which she buys wholesale to sell retail. Her average profit margin in this business is 25%. Her second job is working as a seamstress, making her own creations based on customer orders. Lastly, she raises pigs and has many, one of which is pregnant. What she enjoys about her work is that she has time to do all three and it is going well. She always has orders for pigs and they are selling at a good price. She hopes to be able to continue growing and have a larger space for more animals. This is her tenth loan through MFP, so she hopes to continue with her objective to keep growing. She is happy with her communal bank since all of the members are responsible, which motivates her to be responsible in making her payments. She plans to use the 1,000 PEN to buy more goods for her grocery store. Also, she will buy balanced animal feed, vaccines and vitamins for the piglets about to be born.

Linder : Peru

Thu, 24 May 2012 06:20:01 PDT

$25 of $750 raised.

Started raising funds on May 24, 2012

Linder is 42 years old. He has a great desire to make progress and he is very responsible in order to give the best to his family. He is married and he has three children who are 20, 16, and four years old. He has his own house where he lives with his children and wife. His work consists of transporting cargo and passengers by motorcycle. He goes out very early to look for passengers. He moves from one place to another looking for customers in order to generate the most earnings for the day. He has two motorcycles. The other is driven by a driver who he pays daily. In addition, since he has many friends, he offers some products that he brings from the city of Lima like: clothing and sneakers. He has worked with his motorcycle for 11 years. He has been selling clothing and athletic shoes for two years. What he likes about his work is that it allows him to arrange his time since he now has a profession also. He is on staff at an educational institution. He spends half his time working there and the rest of the day he dedicates to transportation. For this reason, he is doing well since he is generating earnings from different places. This is his third credit with MFP. He hopes to continue with his objectives. He promises, once again, to make his payments, like with the earlier credits that he has had. He is very happy to belong to his communal bank and he can be satisfied with the group since every person is responsible and supportive. With the requested loan of 1500 soles, he will buy awnings for his motorcycles. In addition, he will buy tires and motor pieces. Also, he will pay the mechanic for offering his services.

Lisi : Peru

Thu, 24 May 2012 07:10:02 PDT

$25 of $450 raised.

Started raising funds on May 24, 2012

Lisi, 28, is an idealistic and very friendly young woman. She and her partner have two children, who are 8 and 5. They all live together in their own house. Both she and her partner work hard so that they can give their children a better quality of life. Lisi sells shoes, which she sells by walking around a market near her home. She also has a stall, where her partner stays to make sales, since they work together. She really enjoys doing this work, since the compensation is the good income they have, but she thinks they need some additional help because they want to prepare for next Christmas's sales. Her plans are to have a bigger and more prosperous business. This is her second loan with microfinance partner MFP. She is very happy that she knows she can get financial support, as it makes her feel secure about making her business grow. In addition, she promises to pay punctually, since she wants to stay on good terms with the wonderful group of which she is a part and of which she wants to remain a part for a long time. With the sum requested, 1200 soles ($450), she will buy a larger quantity of shoes (sandals, flip flops, shoes) and some other products until she uses up her budget.

Olmedo : Peru

Thu, 24 May 2012 09:20:04 PDT

$0 of $1,325 raised.

Started raising funds on May 24, 2012

Olmedo, 45, is separated and the father of two daughters, ages 16 and 15. They live with their mother but he sends them money on a monthly basis for their expenses and necessities. Now he lives in his parents' house with his sister and her family. He has worked in passenger transportation for two years. He used to work as an electrician until an unfortunate accident caused the mutilation of three fingers. Unable to continue with this job, he decided that he had to do some other job and began to work as a motorcycle taxi driver. Little by little he managed to work and he began to generate good income. For this reason he decided to buy another "motocarro" [three-wheeled motorized vehicle] and continue growing with his business. He likes his job because he has free time to be able to do his things. He has greater peace of mind because, although he runs some risks with some distracted drivers, this job is safer than his previous one. This is his fifth loan with MFP and it is going well for him in his group. Thanks to the previous loans he managed to buy one more motorcycle. He hopes to be able to continue making his payments punctually, being responsible as he has been thus far. This time he is requesting 3500 soles [PEN] to repair his two vehicles, which are deteriorated because of use and bad road conditions. He also will buy the required insurance and driver's license.

Patricia : Peru

Thu, 24 May 2012 08:50:12 PDT

$25 of $375 raised.

Started raising funds on May 24, 2012

Patricia is 39 years old and a good woman, kind, and very responsible. She is married and the mother of 2 children, ages 7 and 5. Patricia lives in a rented house along with her husband and her 2 minor children, for whom she works hard to offer a better quality of life. Patricia sells hardware. She has a hardware store located in the center of the city, in a much traveled zone. Patricia has had the business for 9 months and she enjoys the backing and help of her husband, with whom she works. Like all new businesses, it is still entering the market and she hopes to be able to grow, little by little. What she likes most about her work is being beside her husband, because they get along well. The business is doing well; it grows daily, not as much as they would like, but at least they are making sufficient profits. She hope to consolidate the business and grow much more as a hardware business person. This is Patricia's 3rd loan with MFP, and she hopes to continue with her objectives. And in addition, Patricia promises, once more, to comply with her payment schedule, as in her earlier loans. In addition, she is pleased to be part of her communal bank because all the members are responsible and supportive persons. With the amount requested, 1,000 new sols, she will purchase merchandise to re-stock her hardware store and, thus, continue with her expansion project.

Velda : Peru

Thu, 24 May 2012 09:50:02 PDT

$0 of $575 raised.

Started raising funds on May 24, 2012

Velda, 35, is a good, kind, very hardworking woman. She and her spouse have two children who are 9 and 6 years old. They live together in their own house where her parents and grandfather also live and who she and her spouse care for providing necessary comforts so that they can have a good lifestyle. She works selling food. She heads out to the market very early to look for the best vegetables and the freshest meat returning home to start preparing her delicious plates of food that she’ll sell in the afternoon in a space she has set up in front of her house. She’s been in this business three years and is very happy to have many customers who feel good with her and go daily in search of good service and excellent tasting food. She likes her work because she can have time to do her household things and because she earns good income. Although it was difficult at first to acquire customers based on effort and much sacrifice added to the good service and tasty dishes, she eventually succeeded. For later on, she hopes to expand the variety of her dishes but to do so needs help for the investment. This is her 3rd MFP loan and she’s very happy to know that she’ll have financial support because she will feel surer of advancing with her business and be able to continue growing. On the other hand, she commits to continue being a responsible member like she was with the previous loan. She also mentions that she’s very happy to work in the communal bank she belongs to because all are good and above all very mutually supportive. She will use the 1500 soles requested to buy an industrial stove and some utensils to continue with her work as well as some ingredients and supplies needed for her exquisite dishes of food.

Javier : Peru

Fri, 25 May 2012 11:50:03 PDT

$0 of $1,500 raised.

Started raising funds on May 25, 2012

Javier, 46, is a hardworking and enterprising man, as well as being very happy and kind. He is married to María, who is a seamstress and the mother of their son Pablo, 30. He lives in his own house with his wife and son plus his daughter-in-law and a grandson, whom he loves very much. He sells groceries, bookstore supplies, medicine, and other things. He opened a small store for this in his own house, from where he sees to the needs of his neighbors, who are his main customers. He also sells fast food at night with the help of his partner. He started more than four years ago, during which time he has been running his store. He considers the business profitable for the profits it gives him, because there are no other people in the area with this business and the variety of products he sells. He likes his job because he attends to the public, with whom he socializes. In this way he amuses himself and feels like a productive man. He manages to pay for the household expenses, because he needed to increase his income. For that reason he plans to expand and open a wholesale stall that will open soon in the town market. This is his third loan with MFP. He is happy about being able to have financial support, so he promises to make his payments on time. With the requested amount of 4000 nuevos soles [PEN], he will invest half in buying convenience food items and save the balance for future investments that might come up.

Alis : Peru

Thu, 24 May 2012 12:10:01 PDT

$25 of $375 raised.

Started raising funds on May 24, 2012

Alis, 37, is a responsible, very hardworking woman. She and her spouse have three children who are 18, 11 and 4 years old; they all live together in her own house. During the time she spent alongside her family she learned that in order to make progress one has to work hard and this is why she’s always constantly active. Her work starts very early when she finishes her shift in the health center where she’s a nurse. She returns home to see her children and in the afternoon she heads out looking for customers to sell clothes to. She’s been in business five years. Before, she didn’t work in the clinic so this was her only source of income. What she likes best about her work is that it gives her time to do household and other chores. She hopes to stay in business and eventually have a small, home-based store. This is her fourth MFP loan. She’s very happy to know that she’ll have financial support because she’ll feel surer of advancing with her business this way. On the other hand, she once again commits to make her installment payments like she’s done with previous loans. It pleases her to be part of her communal bank because all the members are very responsible, mutually supportive people. She will use the requested 1000 soles to buy clothes to continue with her business and will also buy some accessories to be able to display her items better.

Mirson : Peru

Sat, 26 May 2012 06:00:02 PDT

$0 of $950 raised.

Started raising funds on May 26, 2012

Mirson is 44 years old, single, and the father of a son who is already grown and has his own family. He lives alone in his own house, but sometimes his sisters and his son will come visit or spend the weekend.

Mirson grows regional products and also has a few head of cattle since he buys and sells them. His activities take place in a field located a few kilometers from his house. Mirson has been in this line of work for 15 years. He works alone now that his son is independent and has land of his own. Occasionally he will hire workers to help him, but only during the planting and harvesting seasons. Mirson greatly enjoys his work because he is always outdoors and gets to make use of his time as he sees fit. He also says that there is nothing better than being independent. Mirson expects to maintain his business since he plans to continue making a living for several more years.

This is his 15th loan with the MFP organization. He gets along well with his group since he is a founding member and has an excellent payment history. Mirson is grateful for having the opportunity to grow in his work and hopes to continue doing so for a long time. The amount of 2,500 PEN that he requested will be used to buy regional products from other fields that he can sell in bulk in the city. He will also invest in the purchase of grains and compost for planting crops.

Nancy : Peru

Fri, 25 May 2012 01:10:07 PDT

$0 of $775 raised.

Started raising funds on May 25, 2012

Nancy is 50 years of age, and is a happy, hard-working woman. With her partner she has two children, who are now adults. They all live in the house they own, along with her six-year-old grandson. Nancy starts work very early by going to the market in the city where she has her stall. She sells ice, fruit and other regional products. She has been working in this business for approximately four years, and works alone. She is well-known because she sells very good products. Nancy likes her job as it gives her the time to do other things, as she only spends the mornings in the market. She has good customers who always return, because in addition to giving them a quality product she also gives them an extra gift, which ensures that they always leave happy. In the future she hopes to expand her stall, as her business has grown and the space is becoming too small for her. This is Nancy’s eighth loan with MFP. She is very happy to know that she will have financial support, which will make her feel safe in moving forward with her business. She is also sure that she will be able to meet her installment repayments, as she has done with her other loans. She is happy to be part of her communal bank, as all its members are very responsible and have a strong sense of solidarity. She plans to use the requested amount of 2,000 soles to buy cattle for her farm and some regional products to sell in the market.

Pepe : Peru

Fri, 25 May 2012 00:40:02 PDT

$0 of $950 raised.

Started raising funds on May 25, 2012

Pepe, 61, is a man who is always active and taking care of his responsibilities. He and his wife, who have four grown children living independently, live in their own house with three grandchildren who they care for. Pepe grows regional produce such as "ají charapita" ( a local type of chili pepper). He also has a small stall at home where his wife sells gasoline, and also offers meals, ice and beverages. He likes his work because he has time for all of his activities and can be near his grandchildren. He has good customers who are always waiting weekly for him to sell them his crops. In the future he hopes to maintain the rhythm he has because it is good for earning an income for the household. This is his sixth loan through MFP, so he hopes to be able to continue with his goals. He is committed to paying it back on time, responsibly, once again. He is very comfortable in his communal bank because the members of the group are all very responsible and supportive of each other. He plans to use the 2,500 PEN loan to buy seeds to sow and products to sell from home.

René : Peru

Fri, 25 May 2012 01:00:10 PDT

$25 of $500 raised.

Started raising funds on May 25, 2012

René, 55, is a cheerful, hard-working man who has three grown children who have their own families. He and his wife live as caretakers on a farm that belongs to someone else. He raises cattle for a living and gets up very early to feed the animals and take them out to pasture. He and the farm owner take care of the livestock. René has been in this trade for 11 years, but began raising his own livestock six years ago. The good thing is that he can earn a salary as a caretaker and also raise his own animals. He works alongside his wife, who is always there to support him. And, they recently set up a grocery store that his wife manages. In the future they want to buy land to raise their animals. This is his fifth loan through MFP, so he hopes to continue with his objectives. Once again, he is committed to paying it back on time, just like with the previous loans he has had. He is happy to belong to his communal bank because all the members are very united and responsible. The 1,300 PEN loan will be used to buy groceries and products for his store.

Tesalia : Peru

Fri, 25 May 2012 01:40:04 PDT

$25 of $1,525 raised.

Started raising funds on May 25, 2012

Tesalia is 37 years of age and is a happy, enterprising woman. She has one son with Daniel, who has been her partner for the past ten years. They own the house in which they live, and all that Tesalia does is geared towards the wellbeing of her family, for whom she wants to ensure a better quality of life. Tesalia sells food on the path to her house, where she has set up some tables. She gets up very early to go to the market and buy all the produce she needs, and then prepares the delicious stews that have won her recognition as the best chef in her district. She has been working in this business for eight years, and works alone. She likes her job as she can have fun while earning money at the same time, and she also has time for many other things which complement her business. Things are going well; she earns daily income with profits that do not go under 50% based on the investment made, and she constantly has customers. This will be Tesalia’s ninth loan with MFP. She is very happy with the financial support given to her, as she can increase her working capital. She knows that she will have to be very responsible and, above all, punctual. She is happy to belong to her communal bank as they all have a strong sense of solidarity. With the requested loan of 4,000 soles Tesalia plans to buy ingredients and supplies for her meals, some utensils and materials to repair her food stall.

Valentín : Peru

Fri, 25 May 2012 01:50:02 PDT

$25 of $1,150 raised.

Started raising funds on May 25, 2012

Valentín is 38 years of age, and is a good man who is friendly and very hard-working. He is married to Edith who is 40 years of age, and together they have two sons named Jorge and Daniel (both are 11 years of age). Valentín works a lot so that he can have a good quality of life alongside his family. Valentín grows cassava and other regional products in the six hectares of farmland he owns. He plants his crops depending on the season and ensures good produce, as he takes great care with the fertility of his crops’ roots, which make for larger produce with better flavor. He has been working in this business for five years, and is very happy to have the help of his wife, with whom he cultivates his plots of land. He also enjoys his work because it allows him to relax in the afternoons, as he only uses the first half of the day to clean or harvest his land. Valentín has seen his business improve day by day, due to the way in which he carefully looks after his produce. He hopes to continue working a lot, as he plans to improve his production every year. This is Valentín’s 15th loan from MFP, and he is happy to know that he can get a loan to help him meet his goals. He promises to make his payments on time and to not make a bad impression on the group he belongs to, as they are all very responsible. He plans to use the requested loan of 3,000 soles to buy fertilizer for his land and various tools for his work.

Elizabeth : Peru

Fri, 25 May 2012 11:10:03 PDT

$0 of $775 raised.

Started raising funds on May 25, 2012

Elizabeth is 40-years-old. She’s a hardworking, dedicated woman who has many business ideas and hopes to get ahead. Her partner is Carlos who works in construction and he’s the father of their two children, Carlos, 5 and Cristian, 20. They live together comfortably in their own house. Her activity is selling general merchandise like clothes, purses, dolls, decorations and beauty products via catalogue. She started more than three years ago with her own capital which she had saved and to date has been running it by herself. She considers her business to be quite profitable because of the profits it produces. She decided to start this business because she wanted to help her spouse with household expenses as well as to have an occupation and feel like a productive person. This is her MFP loan #14 so she expects to meet her objectives. She comments that she’s happy with her communal bank’s work because they support people with financing for their projects. She will use the requested 2000 new soles to buy merchandise consisting in beauty products and Mother’s Day gifts.

Judith : Peru

Fri, 25 May 2012 11:20:04 PDT

$0 of $575 raised.

Started raising funds on May 25, 2012

Judith, 60, is a dedicated, hardworking woman besides being cheerful and sociable. She’s married to Neemías, her children’s father. She lives with him, her daughter Gady, 31, her two grandchildren and three nephews she supports with their education. She has a family business with her daughter that she administers. They buy and sell fish at wholesale and send it to other cities where demand is higher. She started this on her own initiative more than 20 years ago and she gets help from her spouse who takes her to the port to buy the merchandise and then take it to the market to sell it; they only deliver based on prior orders. She likes her activity because the income helps her cover household expenses. In addition, she also has a store at home that her daughter runs; they do well which is why she has plans to continue and expand her business. This is her MFP loan #12 so she expects to meet her objectives. She promises to be responsible with her installment payments like with prior loans and to have a good credit history. She comments that she’s comfortable in her communal bank because of the support they give each other. She will use the requested 1500 new soles to buy more fresh fish looking for lower prices by purchasing in volume so that profits will be greater. She will also buy groceries for her store.

Juana : Peru

Fri, 25 May 2012 11:30:01 PDT

$0 of $400 raised.

Started raising funds on May 25, 2012

Juana, 61, is a dedicated, hardworking woman besides being kind and cordial. She’s married to Pablo who works in construction and is the father of her children. She lives with her husband, her son Pablo, 28, and a grandson; she loves them very much. Her activity is selling used clothes. To do so she makes monthly trips to the capital to do her purchases looking for better prices to then sell among her friends and neighbors. She’s been in business more than two years and to date does it alone; occasionally her children are the ones that travel to bring the bundles of clothes. She considers her business to be quite profitable; she makes the best profits in areas away from the city. She managed to educate her children thanks to this business and she feels proud for having moved them forward. This is her MFP loan #14 so she expects to make her plans a reality. She feels comfortable in her communal bank because she considers that it’s a united, mutually supportive group. She will use the requested 1000 new soles to buy more large bundles of used clothes.

María : Peru

Fri, 25 May 2012 11:40:03 PDT

$0 of $775 raised.

Started raising funds on May 25, 2012

María, 52, is a woman who likes to work; she’s also kind and cordial with people. She’s married to José, the father of her children who are all independent adults now. She lives comfortably in her own house with her husband and is visited by her children and grandchildren. Her activity is selling beverages. She has a small soda fountain at home where she kindly takes care of her customers. She has a refrigerator there she got with help from her husband. She started out more than five years ago with a bank loan buying small amounts and gradually growing. To date, she’s been working alone but occasionally her daughters visit her and help her take care of customers. She considers the business to be quite profitable because of the profits it produces since she’s visited quite a bit by her loyal customers. She decided to start her business wanting to have an occupation and to generate her own income from the comfort of her own home because she has a problem with her back that prevents her from standing up straight; she walks bent over. This is her MFP loan #6 and she feels grateful to know that she can count on financial support to make her plans a reality. She comments that she feels good in her communal bank because it’s a united, mutually supportive group. She will use the requested 2000 new soles to buy more beverages in various flavors at wholesale hoping thus to increase her capital and to have more profits.

Anita : Peru

Sun, 27 May 2012 04:20:02 PDT

$0 of $400 raised.

Started raising funds on May 27, 2012

Anita is 48 years old. She is a hard-working woman who greatly desires to succeed. Her partner, Walter, is a farmer and the father of her children. She lives comfortably in the house which she bought through great effort with her partner and her nine year old daughter, Vivian. She has a store in her home equipped with a refrigerator. She also sells chilled drinks on account of the hot weather in the area. She started her business more than a year ago with her own capital, selling and buying products in small quantities. Later, she increased her sales since the demand was increasing. So far, the business is going very well. With this business, she can help her partner to move her family forward. She wants to continue with this business and increase her stock of products. This is her second loan with the MFP institution. She is happy and grateful to know that she has the financial support to continue with her plans. In addition, she feels comfortable and she likes the work of her communal bank since she knows the members and considers them to be responsible people. With the loan request of 1000 nuevos soles, she will invest in the purchase of more drinks and groceries in general.

Celina : Peru

Sun, 27 May 2012 04:30:03 PDT

$0 of $400 raised.

Started raising funds on May 27, 2012

Celina is 59, she is a driven woman who has worked throughout her life looking to progress. Her partner is Fidel who is the father of her children. At the moment they live comfortably in their own house with their 18 year old daughter and grandson. She earns a living making and selling charcoal from recycled wood from neighbouring sawmills. She has a space beside a sawmill where she piles her wood and lights them up, letting them burn for some days, and then what is left is the charcoal for selling. She started her business more than 20 years ago, little by little, with her own money that she made grow with lots of effort. So far she does it alone, hiring people for the making of the artisan ovens. She considers her business successful because of the good profits they get and because her charcoal is in big demand and it allows her to sell all her production. She decided to start this work out of the necessity to have an economic income to support her family, giving her children a good education which is her biggest pride. This is her 12th loan with MFP. She is happy and grateful to know that she can count on the financial support to keep making progress with her business. she is also pleased with her communal bank because she knows the other members and considers them responsible people. With the amount she is requesting 1000 (PEN) she will invest in the purchase of raw material for making charcoal: cast off wood.

Rogerio : Peru

Sat, 26 May 2012 11:50:03 PDT

$0 of $1,325 raised.

Started raising funds on May 26, 2012

Rogerio, age 57, is a hardworking and enterprising gentleman. He is also friendly and cordial. Rogerio is separated from the mother of his five children, who are grown and independent. He lives in his own home with one of his daughters, who loves him dearly and shares in the household expenses.

Rogerio provides welding services, as well as motorcycle and tire repairs. He learned these skills by studying at an industrial training center. Rogerio gained experience by working as an assistant at a motorcycle repair shop. Now he works in his own establishment, which is set up in front of his house. He also buys used parts, repairs them, and then sells them at a higher price. Rogerio started his business more than 15 years ago and continues to work by himself to this day. He considers his business to be profitable as a result of the good revenues it generates and the minimal amount of time required to manage it. Before starting this business, Rogerio had financial worries. Now that his workshop is generating more profits, he wants to continue growing and hire employees so that he can focus only on managing the business.

This is his second loan with the MFP organization. He is pleased and grateful to know that he can continue accessing a line of credit for advancing his business. Therefore, he promises to complete his payments in the same manner as his previous loan. The loan amount of 3,500 PEN that he requested will be invested in tools for his workshop. He will also buy a compressor valued at 500 dollars and welding materials.

Kelly : Peru

Sat, 26 May 2012 19:10:02 PDT

$0 of $1,150 raised.

Started raising funds on May 26, 2012

Kelly, age 55, is a hardworking and industrious woman who has tremendous drive to succeed. She is married to Arnulfo and they have three children who are grown and independent. Kelly lives with her husband and two of her daughters in the house she bought with great effort.

Her business involves selling groceries from a space she remodeled in her house. This is where she serves her customers, most of whom are neighbors, but she has many more. She started more than nine years ago with her own capital and later continued growing with the loans from MFP. Kelly considers her business to be profitable because she has a constant stream of customers who come to buy everything she has to offer. She enjoys her work because it enables her to earn an income for covering her expenses. Kelly enjoys the peace and comfort of working from home and would like to see her business grow as a result of her effort. She does not like it when it rains a lot because it becomes difficult to reach her house. Her sales drop as a result, but this does not discourage her.

This is her third loan with the MFP organization and she hopes to continue with her goals. Kelly promises to be punctual with her loan payments. The amount of 3,000 PEN that she requested will be invested in the purchase of groceries and carbonated beverages to restock her store. She will also repair the roof and the floor of her shop so that her customers will be more comfortable.

Abel : Peru

Fri, 25 May 2012 12:20:02 PDT

$0 of $400 raised.

Started raising funds on May 25, 2012

Abel is 47 years old. He is a good and friendly man who works hard in order to provide his family with a better life. He is married with three children, aged 5, 9 and 12. They are his reason of living and for all his hard work and effort. He lives in his own house, which he was able to buy with a great deal of sacrifice together with his wife. His job is to transport cargo and passengers to and from the city in his three-wheeled motorcycle. At first he rented a motorcycle for this purpose, but he was working a lot and making little money, since the majority of his earnings went toward the rent of his vehicle. He has been doing this work for more than twenty years, and is very happy to have achieved a lot of things, such as stability for his family and being able to give an education to his children. Things are going well, as he has the advantage of having two sources of income; he also works as a weightlifting instructor in the Peruvian institute of sports. He has many plans for the future and has decided to work hard in order to achieve them; one of these goals is to buy a second motorcycle. This is his sixth loan with MFP, which he hopes will help him continue to make progress toward his goals. He is very trusted by the communal bank to which he belongs, and is confident that he will be punctual and responsible with his repayments. The funds he is seeking, 1000 soles, will be for the purchase of parts for his vehicle, the labor of the mechanic who will do the work, and the repair of several things in his house that relate to the security of his motorcycle.

Ángel : Peru

Fri, 25 May 2012 12:00:09 PDT

$0 of $775 raised.

Started raising funds on May 25, 2012

Ángel, 59, is a kind, good man. He and his wife have five children four of which are already independent adults. Only the youngest 20-year-old as well as his grandson still live with them; he gives them the best every day in the house he was able to obtain with much effort. His work is construction and his specialty is chicken coops, corrals and farms. He also raises barnyard fowl, an activity he carries out alongside his wife, while the construction is done alongside some laborers he hires. After paying laborers and for supplies, he earns on average a profit of 35% on his investment. He’s been working in this business for 15 years and hopes to continue to do so for more time. He likes working in this activity very much because he earns well and it leaves him time for other things; it gives him the stability needed to have a tranquil life. His goal is to enlarge his chicken coops and to raise animals in larger numbers. This is MFP loan #8 so he hopes to reach his objectives. He also commits once more to make his installment payments in a punctual, responsible way like in previous loans he’s had. He’s very happy to belong to his communal bank because all the members are good and mutually supportive. He will use the requested 2000 soles to buy more baby chicks, to improve his coops and to buy nutritionally balanced feed. At the same time, he will acquire materials and tools to continue doing his construction work.

Gloria : Peru

Sat, 26 May 2012 20:30:03 PDT

$0 of $750 raised.

Started raising funds on May 26, 2012

Gloria, 39, is a kind, very enthusiastic woman. She and her spouse have an 18-year-old son. They live in Gloria’s parents’ house where two of her brothers also live. She sells beverages at home; she buys them from the distributors, cools them and sells them at retail. She also sells food in her sister-in-law’s restaurant. She’s been doing these activities for two years and is doing very well. She likes this way of working very much because it allows her to manage her own time as well as produce double income for her home. In addition, she sometimes works as a substitute elementary school teacher covering for available positions. This is how Gloria is a woman that works much; she loves her family very much and wants to improve daily to grow economically. This is her fifth MFP loan and she’s happy to know that she has financial support to continue advancing with her work. On the other hand she commits to continue to be punctual with her installments just as programmed. She’s very happy to belong to her communal bank because they are all very responsible and mutually supportive. She will use the requested 2000 soles to buy more beverages to have in her warehouse and to offer a greater variety to her customers.