Micro Lending: Story 5

DEYSI VEGA RIOS IS a 40-year-old lady. Her husband's name is Cruz Valdiviezo Paz and is 43 years old. Both have 3 children: 15-year-old Carolay, 12-year-old Jeanpierre and 7-year-old Benjamín. They all live in H-19 San Miguel humble village in Chimbote-Perú. Five years ago, in 2005, she started sewing and making some clothes for those who asked her using an old sewing machine. She only counted on her personal efforts and assets. She started working sewing in a small market called "Los Israelitas" located in 10 de Setiembre neighborhood near her house.

Even though she did her best to save some money and so to equip the best way her small business however she could not do it because all the money she earned was used to face family expenses. At that time she need urgently a looping machine and a coater machine for her small business to begin to grow and this way generating its self-sustainability. It was necessary for her to get a loan to be able to buy these machines otherwise her small business would not emerge.

On this context and through a friend, she heard about a non-profit organization called CHOI here in Chimbote and located near her house offering micro loans, through one of its programs, for those needing a micro loan to improve their small business. So, she went to the office of the Micro Lending program and after getting to know a little more about the program she applied for a micro loan.

She received her first micro loan on April 20, 2006 and she used this resource to buy some working materials she need urgently. She applied for the second micro loan and received it on December 27, 2007. She used it to buy haberdashery (thread, buttons, little scissors, etc.) So, now she started selling haberdasheries. Her small business was going well and she applied for her third micro loan which she received it on November 27, 2008 which she used to buy a looping machine.

She applied for the fourth micro loan and received it on December 28, 2009 and she could buy a coater machine. Her small business started growing little by little and she moved to another market located in La Victoria neighborhood where she has her stand located at a corner. Thanks to micro loans received from the program her small business is going well so far. She doesn't have to worry about giving maintenance her machines becuase her husband does that work since he is an expert in sewing machine maintenance.

In a near future she would like to be a provider of clothing for institutions such as schools, universities, enterprises, etc. and she is working hard to get that goal. Presently she makes clothes for those who ask her. Also she has, in her stand, a business of phone call and her older daughter works with her.

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Micro Lending: Story 4

THROUGH THIS NEW POST, I would like to share with you all the story of another entrepreneur person who, with a bit of support and encouragement, is becoming a person who is overcoming difficulties in her family life. She was born here in Chimbote, Perú. Her name is Vilma Carbajal Mercedes and is 35 years old. She lives in F-5, 10 de Setiembre human settlement, a place located among many poor neighborhoods in Chimbote. She is a single mother and has 2 children. A boy named 13-year-old Jeancarlos Rocha Carbajal and a girl named 12-year-old Dayana Rocha Carbajal.

As a single mother she had to work hard to provide for her children and herself. Twelve years ago, in 1998, she did her best and was able to get $50.00 and with this money she started selling lingerie, underpants, socks, etc. She bought these products from a supplier here in Chimbote at first but after some months she herself started traveling to Lima (capital of Perú) to get her products to sell since she got them cheaper there. At that time she had no her own house so, because of this, she had on mind to buy a land to be, in time, the family house.

She could come true her dream so she bought a land and even got her ownership title on January 30, 2003 but this, some way or another, affected her small business financially speaking because she had to take money of her business to be able to buy the land. Even so she did not give up and kept traveling to Lima to buy merchandise but it was evident her small business was not going very well as before, on the contrary it was urgent to get financial suppor to refloat the business.

In these circumstances she, through some neighbors, heard about the Micro lending program of CHOI and talked to its director about getting a micro loan for her small business. The program, on behalf of its director, was willing to assist her so, Mrs. Vilma received her first micro loan on February 06, 2004. With this help she was able, little by little, to refloat her small business.

She applied for another micro loan, the second, and received it on November 26, 2004. Things started going well and she applied for her third micro loan and received it on July 27, 2006. As the time went by the small business was growing and she was encouraged to apply for her fourth micro loan which she received it on July 27, 2008 but after some months she received the micro loan, in January 2009, unfortunately some thieves stole all her merchandise. In this situacion the micro lending program gave her some facilities and addicional support for her to face the difficult moment and also her financial duties.

Because of her persistence and perseverance she could overcome those bad times and her small business started growing little by little once more and so, she applied for her fifth micro loan which she received it on December 16, 2009. Presently she continues to work hard to make her business successful. Her small business is located inside her house. She is very thankful to the micro lending program for all the support she received.

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Micro Lending: Story 3

MANUEL ALEJANDRO MEDINA CASTAÑEDA is a single young man who is 24 years old. He lives in T-4 La Victoria neighborhood here in Chimbote with his mother: Mrs. Rosa Castañeda Rubio, a 48-year-old woman, and his two brothers: 28-year-old Miguel Angel Torres Castañeda and 15-year-old Julio Torres Castañeda. Even though his mother helped with money for the expenses of the family yet there always were more expenses to face. So, five years ago Manuel had an idea: To establish a small business in his house. So, at that time he started selling cookies, candies, soda and food for birds. This way he discovered his asset for this kind of business.

As the time went by his business was going well little by little but he wanted his business to grow. He wanted to start selling more articles just as groceries, fruits, toiletries, drinks, toys etc. Unfortunately that was just a dream at the time because the gain obtained, as a result of his sales, was not enough to make bigger and improve his business as he wanted. He was very motivated on his project but could not find financial support to get his purpose.

One of his neighbors named Mrs. María Elena Sucsa Mendoza, who is a former client of Micro Lending program "Support Association for Small Business Perpetuo Socorro" (that was the first name of the program, now it is called CHOI's Micro lending), told him about this micro lending organization and the possibility for him to get one. So, he applied formally for a micro loan which was given to him on March 31, 2009. That was his first micro loan requested.

Manuel used this resource to implement and improve his small business so now he sells not only cookies, candies, soda and food for birds but groceries, fruits, toiletries, drinks, toys, several kinds of ice cream, etc. He is glad because now he is able to help his family and his brother Julio is studying thanks to the support that Manuel gives him. In a near future Manuel is planning to apply for another micro loan to keep improving his business and he wants to thank American benefactors who made possible this Micro Lending program.

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Micro Lending: Story 2

NOW, I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU the story of how a person, who since his early childhood, had to work to be able to feed himself and his family. He comes from a very poor family and has been working most of his life. His name is Pedro Raúl Ly Delgado. He is 39 years old and presently lives in H-13 Antenor Orrego neighborhood here in Chimbote. He is married and his wife's name is Doris Chávez Alvarado. They both have three children: 14-year-old Leslie Ly Chávez, 10-year-old Pedro Ly Chávez and 8-year-old Noe Ly Chávez. Like all parents he has responsability to provide for his family.

His work story begins when he was around 8 years old. From that age he was working accommodating bricks in severals brickworks until he was 14 years old when he started working as an assistant bricklayer for many years. From 21 to 24 years of age he has been working in large brickworks in Nuevo Chimbote city because he has no opportunity to do so in Chimbote. He got married when was 25 but things were not going the way he wanted, economically speaking. So, he started to work on his own.

From 25 to 35 years of age he made bricks only for people who asked him. He did his best to get some money to be able to fulfill his customers' requests but it was needed to get more money to stay in business otherwise business would close down because of lack of materials (cement, coarse sand, etc.) and tools. In this hard situation he heard by some friends and neighbors about Micro Lending program which provides micro loans to entrepreneurs people needing support to begin or improve their businesses.

So, Mr. Pedro headed to the office of the Micro Lending program (which is a program of the non-profit organization CHOI) to know by himself about requeriments to get a micro loan. On August 16, 2005 he received his first micro loan and this way he could buy his materials, tools and pay his debts. Consequently his business started improving litttle by little and so he could hire an assistant. After a while Mr. Pedro requested another micro loan and he received it on September 24, 2007. His third micro loan was accepted and given to him on September 24, 2008.

He received his fourth micro loan on April 06, 2009. Presently Mr. Pedro has rented a place to his business located in L-1 Antenor Orrego neighborhood and he has four assistans working with him making several kinds of bricks. He is very thankful to the Micro Lending program for micro loans he has received since because of this support he can provide for his family.

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Micro Lending: Story 1

HER NAME IS CONSUELO OCAS PÉREZ and is 56 years old. Her husband is named Segundo Acuña Alvarado. They both have a 25-year-old son named Geiner Acuña Ocas and a 30-year-old daughter named Miriam Acuña Ocas. They all live at E-19 San Miguel which is one of many poor neighborhoods in Chimbote located near fr. Jack's Parish. Mrs. Consuelo is a housewife and Mr. Segundo works as a seller of typical Peruvian herbs at a small market near his house. Their daughter Miriam is a teacher but she could not get a school to work and their son Geiner is presently studying English language at an Pedagogical Institute.

Even though Mr. Segundo makes his best, his income is not enough to meet family expenses and to deal with unexpected situations such as health emergency and others. For this reason, since some time ago, Mrs. Consuelo tried to help his husband generating another income for the family. She had on mind setting a small business at home. But she had a big problem, she had no money to come true her idea. Her daughter Miriam, who had previously worked as a promoter for recycling program (a CHOI's one), let her know that here in Chimbote there is a Micro Lending program (which is another program of CHOI) whose purpose is supporting people to establish their own small business.

So, she went to the office of the Micro Lending program to find out about this issue and after doing corresponding formalities she received her first loan on May 30, 2008. Thanks to this loan she could set her small business at home and this way now she is able to help her family. As a response of gratitude she paid her monthly dues on time. She was a good client of the program so she requested a second micro loan which she received it on November 11, 2009 and she is presently paying her monthly dues.

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