Lolita

Lolita, 60, is a widow with eight children from her previous husband and one child with her live-in partner, Anecito, who works as a construction worker. Five of her children are now married and living independently. The family resides in the province of Cebu, where they operate a grocery store as an additional source of income.

To help supplement her partner’s earnings, Lolita manages the grocery store, selling a variety of items and cooking street food every afternoon, including tempura, fish balls, fries, hotdogs, and more. She also operates a Wi-Fi service and a water-vending machine, which provide extra income and allow her to earn daily sales ranging from £7 to £19. These earnings greatly support their daily living expenses and help cover her children’s school needs, including allowances and project costs.

She purchases stock from the market three times a week, especially groceries and frozen products. Lolita works hard to sustain and grow her business. Recently, she applied for another loan from our partner LAMAC to buy additional grocery items—particularly canned goods, energy drinks, seasonings, spices, and other essentials. She also plans to purchase more supplies for her afternoon street food offerings, such as tempura, fish balls, other frozen items, and soft drinks.

Lolita is determined that this loan will help her business continue to grow, and she has committed to repaying it in 12 monthly instalments.