Because of the pandemic, most of the Philippines has been placed on lockdown since last year. This has challenged our program to adapt and comply with the health protocols that each municipality has set. We are grateful to have a dedicated team who diligently visits each area and client.
A few weeks ago, the Philippines was taken aback by a series of quakes that shook several provinces in the Central to Northern part of Luzon and some other provinces in Visayas, causing severe damage to properties and lives -But not this microfinance group in the rural parts of Bataan.
Mina was married at the age of 15. Now, at 32, her and her husband have a daughter and two sons. She was from a poor farming family. She tells us her story. “I started a ‘Chatpat’ (a quick sour, chilly snack) selling business with an investment of about Rs. 2,000 (US$17) as that’s all my family could afford. I was able to earn around Rs. 1,000 (US$8) daily and although this was not much, it boosted my confidence. That was 6 years ago. I wanted to grow my business but I wasn’t able to get a loan."
Renu is 24 years of age and is unmarried. She lived an idle life and was found to be at high-risk of being trafficked. With the help and training from the My Business My Freedom program (a Captivating and 3AN joint project), Renu has now started a mini poultry business. She had no understanding about how to run a business or why it was important for her to be self-sufficient. The group Renu is part of has helped her with learning so much about the risks of human trafficking, how to manage a business, social issues and saving money to invest in her future. Now she has 20 chicken as her poultry farm.
“My name is Grace Moraa. My parents died from AIDS and I'm now an orphan. But my life has many bright lights. I am twelve years old and in class seven at Suneka primary school. I now live with my aunty after the death of my only remaining parent; my mother. She passed on three years ago and since then I am living with my relatives. Every morning I have to do some household chores before running to school. I also help my Aunty Mokeira with fetching water daily as she leaves very early for the market and comes home late. My aunty got financial help from the Captivating/ACDF micro-loans program and was able to start a chicken rearing business this year. This helps in our upkeep. My aunty is very hardworking and she is planning to construct a bigger place for the chickens soon as the business continues to grow. My aunty gets three crates of eggs every week for sale and also sells some chickens for extra money. She bought me an extra pair of shoes and a uniform for school. She is also now able to buy hygiene products for me to use. Before, I would not attend school for a whole week every month fearing others will laugh at me! I am really grateful to Captivating because I live with hope. Because of you I have not been sent home for school fees arrears this year. We are closing school in a few days and I will help my aunty in the household chores as I am the oldest of all my cousins and sometimes I can go with her to the market as I wait for opening school next month. Thank you Captivating for your support. You are God send.”
Captivating is looking to extend this loan program in Kisii, Kenya. We are looking for more financial partners to help us raise US$10k in additional loan capital. If you can help, please email andrewc@captivating.org so we can assist 80 more families in this program.
05 MAY 2022| HONOR 1000 - MICRO FINANCE PHILIPPINES | STOP HUMAN TRAFFICKING
There's nothing quite like being able to grow something from scratch. We are so blessed to witness the lives of these women who have taken the challenge of starting their own businesses to save up and to earn little by little for their livelihood.
From raising quails, to selling softdrinks, and to setting up their sari-sari stores, these Filipinas have embodied strength and resilience through trying times. Imagine being able to do all these during a pandemic! We applaud your efforts Jenelyn, Leni, and Melvin!
Jenelyn decided to join our field partner's HONOR microfinance program because of the encouraging stories shared to her. It was specifically the low interest rates and weekly devotion that caught her eye. Her business is supplying soft drinks to other businesses. During the pandemic, her business also experienced decrease in demand that meant a decrease of her income as well. But she continued to persevere in getting orders knowing that her son is still in school. She is thankful that with the ease of restrictions, demand is also increasing again. We are also encouraged to see Jenelyn and how she is saving diligently. It is the program's goal to not just help moms with loan capital but also to instill in them the habit of saving. Because of this, Jenelyn has saved a little more than PHP 8,500 already!
Leni owns a small sari sari store -- up in the mountains. This is where she and her five children lives. Because there are only a few stores in their area, her stable income has allowed her to transform their home to concrete. Leni's dedication can be seen as she crosses rivers, with her stocks in hand, to reach her store. She is grateful to have found HONOR that caters not only to the businesses in their town center, but also to small businesses in the mountains. By supporting Leni, we are not only serving her family, but also her community that they are able to purchase their necessities closer to home.
Here is Melvin receiving her very first HONOR loan. Her business is quail raising where she sells both the eggs and chicks. She shares that before the pandemic, she was selling rugs and used clothes but due to the low demand, she needed to start a new business that would provide a more stable income. She researched on quail raising and even studied how to market it. She started on 100 eggs and she was very happy with how it all sold out once she posted it for sale. After this, orders came and she needed help with more capital. This is how she found our program. Her neighbor and friend is part of our HONOR microfinance and has shared with her the benefits of low interest and good management. With this, Melvin also went through our application process and is now part of our program! We are here for mothers like Melvin who are looking for partners in their growth!
Help More Filipinos Break Away from the Cycle of Poverty
With your support of AU$385/US$270, we will be able to provide a Filipino mom with a small business loan. Click on the links below to know more.
Our Partners
Everyday, Ofelia sets out in the afternoon to sell boiled duck eggs, or more commonly known in the Philippines as "balut", together with other snacks to fill her neighbors. She does this diligently to provide for her four children, while her husband works as a construction worker.
Adelinda, married and a mother of four, used to work as a manicurist and went from one house to another to earn. Her husband on the other hand is a farmer. After receiving her loan, she was able to build their own store.
Nenita joined the Honor 1000 Microfinance Project in 2021. She and her husband are both vegetable and rice farmers and are working together to provided for their four children. She shares how the typhoons and floods affect their harvest season.
