Juana de jesús

Loan description:

Juana Orosco requested a loan in order to buy new stock for her clothing stall in preparation for Mother's Day which is in May in Ecuador. She lives in the neighbourhood of 'El Valle' in the city of Loja. Juana is from a large family and her parents could not afford to pay for all her education. Juana entered a convent when she was 12 and remained there until she was 15 when she realised that she did not have the discipline required for a religious vocation and left to work as a domestic maid in the households of wealthy local families. In the evenings she continued at night school and finished secondary school in this manner. Juana eventually managed to register at university but was unable to start her studies for lack of financial resources. She started working instead as an itinerant trader selling fruits and vegetables. She sold most during the 'ferias libres' or days when anyone can sell in and around the public markets. When she married at the age of 31, her husband encouraged her to open a stall selling clothes in the market. She had been selling some clothes as well as an itinerant trader and had knowledge of different wholesale suppliers. The stall has been quite successful and her family's conditions have improved noticeably. Her husband also has a business selling musical compact dics and religous music in the capital Quito and returns one a month to visit his family.