PSHF

Marjorie (41) received her first PSHF livelihood loan in August 2021, which enabled her to lease a stall in her town’s public market to sell her native snacks. The business went well until a super typhoon ravaged the province in December 2021. The public market suffered significant damage, and market vendors had to stop selling. Marjorie could not sell her native snacks for almost two months and her working capital was used up to buy food for the family. Without her food business, Marjorie did cleaning jobs, and from her wages, she slowly set aside funds to rebuild her working capital. Happily, in March 2022, she was able to go back to selling her homemade “bingka,” “puto,” and “kutsinta” rice cakes which she peddles in the neighborhood.

Marjorie is the breadwinner in the family, supporting her elderly parents, Heraclea and Melquiades, who are both 70 years old. Her brother Renante (31) sometimes contributes to the family expenses whenever he is hired to do labor work. Her sister, Madelin (25), who Marjorie supports has just graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in office systems management and is now looking for a job.

Marjorie has seen a new business opportunity with pandemic restrictions easing and  school classes returning to normal. She has spoken to the administration of her high school alma mater to be a canteen concessionaire, and the discussion went well. One of the requirements is that Marjorie should sell healthy snacks which makes her products a perfect fit. The school is only a five-minute walk from Marjorie’s home, and she will pay a space rental of 1,000 pesos ($18) per month.

For the above reason, Marjorie would like to own an oven as she is planning to add carrot and pumpkin cupcakes to her product line and it is for this reason that she is seeking a loan from us. She fully paid back her first loan according to the terms of her contract despite her difficult circumstances. The loan will enable Marjorie to buy a 60L electric oven and stainless containers to display her products. Even though there are other food sellers outside the school, Marjorie is positive that her products will be a success. She will sell her products for five pesos each which is affordable to students. Marjorie is planning to make a total of 200 snacks a day. She will also continue to receive orders for special occasions such as birthdays, christening, and fiestas. Marjorie hopes to make an average net monthly net income of 10,000 pesos ($200) from her sales. With this income, she is keen to set aside funds for Renante, who wishes to enroll in a vocational school to study electronics.

We at the PSHF are happy to assist a responsible daughter and sister like Marjorie, and we wish her well with her business.

Analyn Gallibot

PSHF Bohol

September 2022