Rowena

Rowena has one daughter and two sons from her ex-husband. Two of her children are attending school: one is in high school, and the other two are in elementary school. They live in a remote village in a town in Cebu province, where she operates a grocery store with the help of her niece.

In 2018, Rowena started a grocery store business selling a wide variety of products, including rice, canned goods, seasonings, baking supplies such as flour and sugar, beverages, laundry products, hygiene essentials, and many other items that meet the needs of her customers. Her shop operates daily from early morning until early evening, generating daily earnings ranging from £40 to £70, depending on customer traffic.

With the assistance of her niece, who volunteers to help with the daily operations, Rowena is able to provide good customer service. Her shop is strategically located along the highway, making it easily accessible to customers. She also sells soft drinks and frozen products, which are especially popular during school days. In addition, she offers GCash services and does not allow credit purchases, ensuring that her sales revenue is readily available for timely restocking of inventory.

Rowena purchases stocks twice a week from malls and wholesale stores, depending on the availability of the products she needs. She has now applied for another loan from Lendwithcare's partner, LAMAC, to restock her grocery store with high-demand items such as sacks of rice, seasonings, frozen goods, and soft drinks. She plans to repay the loan in 12 monthly instalments and hopes to increase her profits as her business continues to grow.