Phillipines
Case Studies - Introduction
We have been working in the Philippines since 2000 with our partner, the Centre for Community Transformation (CCT). By the end of 2007 we were lending to over 4,000 small businesses in the shanty towns around the capital, Manila. Here you can read about the impact of some of those loans.
Mary
Mary lives in Manila with her three children. Following the tragic death of her husband, she became an independent seamstress to support her family. Her business was a success for five years until a fire ripped through the building destroying everything. Undaunted by this setback, Mary opened a general store and received two micro-loans from Five Talents to help her expand the shop and take classes to start a soap making business.
In 2005 she attended a Five Talents business training seminar to help her struggling new business. From the seminar she gained valuable knowledge of business management. Mary has shared her profits with those around her, in particular sending her two sons to college! Mary is now an active participant in her community and is a business counsellor to other entrepreneurs. "I have learned to have faith in God through the ups and downs in both my personal and business life. I have been able to thrive, rise and survive because of God's faithfulness."
Rosita Gonzales
When her husband lost his job, Rosita started a fruit stall to provide some income from the family. She had previously run a similar stall before having her children, but found it hard to get establish a new business this time around. Sometimes she would need to take money out of her business in order to pay for her children's schooling. She tried diversifying into peanut butter production and it was through a customer that she heard about CCT.
She took out a loan and found that the investment into her business made a real difference. Now Rosita is on her third loan and her business has grown hugely. Her client base is much bigger now, and her profits have doubled. The intention is to expand even further in the future, and Rosita and her husband have already started planning to sell mobile phones and accessories.