Our One Hope Microfinance Program’s main mission is to protect vulnerable women from the threat of sexual exploitation by providing loans for sustainable micro entrepreneurship. We provide small business loans starting at PHP 6,000. Each client will then be a part of a fellowship group where they must commit to meeting weekly for payment and community building. They can continue borrowing up to PHP 30,000. This way, they have the chance to elevate their living standards and foster positive change in their communities.
When Cristy first opened her street food business in 2010, she and her husband used a bike to pedal around their community to sell their products. Their best seller? Fish ball with their secret sauce that people keep coming back to. They are parents to four children, and each day they spend on the streets, under the scorching Manila sun, is a true testament to their devotion as parents.
She took out loans from our program, and eventually, they were able to switch from their bike to a motorbike! They are now able to reach areas with better food traffic and create a steadier income for their family. They also expanded their menu, offering a wider variety of food beyond the usual street food.
Over the years, their daily income has more than doubled—from PHP 1,000 to now PHP 2,500. This growth has allowed them to maintain enough capital and save regularly. And with their business strong and stable, Cristy shares with pride that they no longer rely on loans—an achievement she once only dreamed of.
They are also proud parents! Their eldest has already graduated from college and is now a manager at a well-known fast-food chain. Two other children are still in college, and their youngest is in 9th grade. They still have a long way to go, but what they have achieved so far is already plenty! In Filipino, there is a saying, “Malayo pa, pero malayo na,” which translates to “Still far ahead, but far enough already.”
Three years later, she became one of the founding members of the Pag-asa Fellowship Group—Pag-asa meaning “Hope” in Filipino. Here, she inspires more women to work hard and hold on to the “pag-asa” they once held close to their hearts.
As we spoke with Cristy and her husband with their big smiles, we figured out what was in that secret sauce: it is made of perfect parts hard work, perseverance, the right opportunity, and finding joy in every waking day.
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Support the One Hope Microfinance Program and help provide mothers with the resources they need to build a better future for their children.
USD270 | AUD 385 starts another woman on her poverty-free journey.
Be her hope.
