Maria Consuelo

María Consuelo, aged 57, lives with her family in Imbabura, in northern Ecuador. She is married and has a 15-year-old daughter who is in secondary school. María and her husband have been working in agriculture for four decades. Through this work, María has covered household expenses and supported her children’s education.

Together, María and her husband cultivate their own seeds, and at present they grow peas on one hectare of land. María begins each planting cycle by preparing the soil, sowing the seeds, and fertilising the crops until harvest. Thanks to her hard work, she produces around 80 sacks of fresh peas each year, which she sells to local traders.

María also raises pigs. She currently has two on her farm, which she feeds and cares for over six months. Each pig is sold at a weight of 133.51 pounds. Additionally, her husband works as a day labourer, cleaning, ploughing furrows and fertilising crops on other farms, contributing to the family’s income.

María has requested a loan to invest in pig farming. She plans to allocate £250 for the purchase of four pigs, £300 for feed and grains, and £180 for vitamins and vaccines to ensure proper growth. With this loan, María aims to increase the number of pigs on her farm, improve her household income, and continue to support her daughter’s education.