Meeting life’s challenges head on is a habit that could be developed only by the brave. Marivie P., 28, does just that. Marivie is only a high school graduate but right now she manages her own micro-business as she learns entrepreneurship as a community partner in CCT*. She is married to Joenard, who is a driver, and mothers her three children, who are now in elementary school.

For six years now, Marivie has been in the coconut business. She buys young coconut fruit directly from farmers and she retails them. She has a fruit stand along the highway by-pass leading to Tagaytay City, a local tourist destination in the province. Marivie also sells coconut by-products like pure coco vinegar and coco wine. She earns an estimated net monthly income of around 12,000 PHP from this business.

To help her continue the operation of her business, she is requesting a 20,000 PHP loan. She intends to use this loan to purchase more fresh young coconuts for selling.

Marivie acknowledges that no challenges are too hard to deal with. She knows that the Lord will enable her to overcome and uphold the future of both her children and her business. She dreams of making her sari-sari store grow. As a CCT community partner, she faithfully attends the group's weekly fellowship meeting where she can also draw strength and inspiration from the Word of God she received.

*All CCT community partners and clients are organized into fellowship groups that meet on a weekly basis. A fellowship group is composed of 15 to 30 community partners. The fellowship groups gather each week to study the Word of God, build social capital, and pay microfinance loans.