Maria Esperanza Chamba Gonzalez received a loan of just over £700 at the end of 2012. All her repayments have been made on time and without difficulties so far. She used the money partly to buy more cosmetics which she sells as an itinerant trader and also partly to buy more stock to sell in her shop. She lives with her family at the back of the shop in an outlying district of the city of Loja called 'Tierras Coloradas', located at more than seven and half thousand feet above sea level. Maria sells Avon and Yanbal cosmetics products for both men and women, typically face creams, moisturisers, shampoos and perfumes. Customers often take the product on an initial down payment and then pay her weekly instalments. Despite having to return to take payments from customers selling cosmetics is a profitable activity as her profit margin is higher compared to what she sells in her shop - most commonly she sells rice, sugar, eggs, plantains, milk and bread. On a very good day Maria has takings of $20 and on poor days just $5 and her profit will be anywhere between 10-20%. The shop is open long hours, from just before six in the morning to after nine in the evening, seven days a week. When she leaves the shop to sell her cosmetics, one of her children usually takes charge for a couple of hours - she has five children aged 19, 17, 16, 13 and 12. Maria also raises chickens from home but the eggs are only for the household's own consumption.