Maria Delfina

Maria Delfina is 61 years old. She divorced her husband many years ago. Having had 6 children with him, she had to work very hard to support them, but all of them are now adults and have their own homes. Delfina prepares and sells food, such as empanadas, tamales, and soups, among other snacks and dishes.

Maria started her microenterprise 9 years ago, when she came to live in the city of Pasaje, Ecuador, where she currently resides. Being an enterprising woman, she first started selling food and then opened a grocery store. She buys the raw materials for the preparation of the food in the central market of the city. One of her daughters works with her and helps her to maintain the business.

Thanks to these economic activities, Maria has been able to access credit from financial institutions. On average she makes total sales of $2,135 (£1,680) per month, with the prices of her dishes varying from $1 (80p) to $2.50 (£2). Most of her customers come to her shop, and she also makes home deliveries. The profit she makes after deducing production costs is approximately $504 (£397) per month, which allows her to cover all her household expenses.

Maria needs a loan of $1500 (£1,181) for the purchase of building materials to repair the shop where she has set up her business, and she will also use $500 (£394) of the money to buy merchandise for the store. She will repay the loan in 15 monthly instalments.