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Enriqueta “Quetta” is from Mexico. She needs a loan of $300 to start an avocado orchard.
Enriqueta “Quetta” is from Mexico. She needs a loan of $300 to start an avocado orchard.
Enriqueta “Quetta” Ávila Parada is an artist and mother of 10 who lives in the small Indian village of Donaciano Ojeda in Zitacuaro. Quetta is a happy woman, normally rising early to help her husband, working to ensure that they have enough money to raise their children the best they can.
Quetta is a very hard worker, she is an artisan who makes beautiful pieces of art made of natural fibers to sell. She would now like to begin a small business growing and selling Haas Avocados because she has seen the demand for them. Mrs. Enriqueta did not have the opportunity to learn to read and write and because of this, one of her biggest wishes is that her children have the opportunity to go to school.
Quetta has ten children, of whom she cares for seven.
The Agriculture business sector covers all farming and livestock activities. Some entrepreneurs request loans to help in securing supplies and equipment. Others want to buy more animals to breed or purchase feed and medicines. The majority of our loan clients live in rural communities where agriculture is already understood as a business model. It is for this reason that approximately 50% of our loans are in the agricultural sector.
Crecencio Morales is a mountainous community that is home to an indigenous population of approximately 8,000. Elder members of the population still speak the Mazahua indigenous languages and weave traditional clothing.
Residents of Crecencio Morales live in poverty, depending primarily on agriculture, commerce, and the production of artisan goods for income. Most homes are made of wood and have only two rooms with dirt floors. Families cook their meals on wood stoves, as gas and electricity are limited. Few residents have access to toilets or running water; most use outhouses and fetch water from community wells.
In Crecencio Morales, World Vision is providing families with business training; helping farmers increase agricultural production and incomes; attending to the health needs of malnourished children; increasing access to safe water through the installation of water tanks; and providing tutoring and recreational opportunities.
Enriqueta and her husband used their loans to invest in tomato and avocado plants. Between the two of them, they bought 100 avocado trees and 600 tomato plants. The tomato business is going well and they often have people come from surrounding communities to buy from them. The avocado trees will take another few years to develop before they can start selling their fruit.
Enriqueta continues to be a very hard-worker and is involved in a number of different business ventures. She is working very hard because one of her daughters has decided that she would like to keep studying and eventually become a nurse. Enriqueta is very happy that her daughter is so ambitious. Currently, Enriqueta is working selling traditional handcrafts from the region (baskets made out of pine needles). She is working with credit officers at her local microfinance institution and would like to sell her crafts in Walmarts throughout Mexico. She also cultivates peach trees.
Enriqueta's goal is to keep taking out microfinance loans so that she will be able to have more capital to invest in all of her activities and provide the best for her family. She does not know how to read or write, but is determined to keep working hard to give her children the education opportunities that she never had.
Quetta used the loan to purchase fertilizers for her avocado and tomato trees. She also purchased hens. She says she has made a good profit from selling avocados and that she wants to sell avocados outside the region, like in the wholesale market in Mexico City. She feels people pay better prices and so she can earn a larger profit.
Because she is able to transport her goods to other communities, her family's quality of life is improving. She is able to pay for school supplies. Quetta also says her family eats more meat. She wants to her children to obtain a good education so that they do not have to earn a living working on the land.
Quetta has repaid her loan in full. She is grateful to World Vision Micro and its donors. These funds are now available to help another worthy entreprenuer in her community. Thank you for supporting Quetta and World Vision Micro!
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