Janice B. runs a "sari-sari" (general) store. Sari-sari stores basically sell small quantities of various foodstuffs, grocery items and beverages. “Sari” is a native Filipino word for variety. This is a small store that is either attached to the owner’s house or in a small native cottage, not far away from the owner’s house. Such stores are convenient for people in the village who lives far from the marketplace.

Janice started her variety store through her initiative in dealing with customers. She wants to continue her business; it gives them good proceeds to support the education of her three children. She is requesting a loan of PHP18,000 so that she can have the funds needed to buy more food products and basic household necessities. This will allow her to attract more customers and increase her sales. With profit from her business, she wants to buy a hog for fattening for supplementary income. After four months of raising or fattening, pigs will be sold either alive or slaughtered for meat to be sold per kilo. Her long-term goal is to have her own restaurant someday, so that Janice will give the opportunity of employment to others.

Janice dreams of growing her variety store into a mini-grocery store and expanding it to another village, so as to send her three children all the way through college, and to have their own beautiful house and lot for comfortable living. Her three children are her inspiration to pursue her variety store. She now feels very happy about the service of ASHI and its KIVA partnership. It gives them a great possibility to pursue their family dreams. She hopes that they continue the service for a long time and help many families who want to get ahead.

She has shown herself to be hard-working to make her dreams come true and hopes that her business will continue to be more productive and improve the overall living conditions of her entire family.