No Rainy Days in Cristina’s Sari-Sari Store

When a woman is empowered, she will not fall into desperate measures to make money. Here at Captivating, we aim to protect women in vulnerable groups from sexual exploitation through entrepreneurship.

Our One Hope Microfinance Program has helped numerous mothers elevate their living standards and foster positive change. How does this work? We provide microloans starting at Php 6,000 (USD 106). After that, each beneficiary will become a part of a group where they shall commit to weekly payment and community building. The loans will increase with increments of Php 3,000 every after full payment with each loan payable for a maximum of 40 weeks. You can learn more about the project here.

Christina and her child in her sari-sari store

One of the mothers that we are helping is Cristina. Cristina is a mother of two who also manages her small sari-sari store—a kind of store in the Philippines that sells “sari-sari” (a variety) of products from snacks and candies to toiletries in small quantities. Her store seemed stable until a recent natural disaster in their neighborhood in Dinalupihan. Cristina wanted to keep her store open to cater to her neighbor’s needs, but the rain made it difficult for her to break even in sales. Despite that, she continued to show up each day and earned what she could to pay back her microloans. Through her dedication and effort, she was able to pay back her loans while also keeping PHP 3,000 (USD 53) in savings!

Her next goal is to continue saving to completely pay back all her loans and buy a refrigerator. A refrigerator in her sari-sari store can help her expand her products to cold drinks and frozen products. Cristina expressed her gratitude to Captivating International and its partner—Sanghaya Foundation, for supporting her business and giving her the chance to grow.