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Marcelo is from Mexico. He needs a loan of $400 Purchase vegetables and fruits.
Marcelo is from Mexico. He needs a loan of $400 Purchase vegetables and fruits.
Originally from Veracruz, Mr. Marcelo came to Tijuana to seek a better life for himself and for his family. His daughter died, so his wife and him take care of their 5-year-old granddaughter and provide an education for her.
He is applying for a loan which will be used to purchase vegetables and fruits that he will then sell to the community in a tricycle. His wife Angela will sell the other half of the produce in a van.
He needs the loan so he can purchase large quantities of produce, and therefore gain a larger profit. When he started the business he could only buy small quantities, but his business grew and he was able to afford a van. His family uses the van for transportation and to bring Victoria (his granddaughter) to kindergarten.
The dream of Mr. Marcelo and his wife is that God will give them strength to continue working on the sale of vegetables and fruits so they can provide a good education for their granddaughter. They also hope to build a house on a piece of land they are buying and grow vegetables on the land. This will allow them to sell more produce to their community. Mr. Marcelo is getting older, but said, "I obey my God and work hard while I'm still here because I have many responsibilities."
In areas where the poor live alongside the more affluent, businesses in the service sector can be very successful. Services include flower cultivation, tailoring/sewing, transportation, repair work, beauty salons and barber shops, and restaurants. Loans are needed to begin, expand, or sustain business with tools and supplies. Loans given to entrepreneurs in the service sector account for around 7% of our loans.
Tijuana, Mexico is a fast-growing metropolitan area. Located at the border of Southern California, it’s population is quickly approaching 1.5 million people. On the hillsides at the edges of the city are thousands of families who have settled into small communities, many without adequate shelter or dependable incomes. These families have migrated from southern Mexico with hopes of starting new lives in the United States. But crossing the border has become more difficult and job opportunities are non-existent. Now they have created makeshift communities like Cañón del Sainz. There are so few job opportunities here that people become trapped in an endless cycle of poverty. Parents find it impossible to provide their children with nutritious food, basic health care and quality education.
World Vision’s goal in Cañón del Sainz is to improve job training and skill development by offering skills and vocational training workshops for adults and youth; developing a strong microenterprise development program with links to adequate micro financing and business training; and empowering local leaders to take an active role in developing, implementing, and managing these programs.
Accomplishments include providing skills training to 250 mothers, helping 250 families access credit to start their own businesses, and offering financial and business training to 55 community leaders. Thirty four adults were also assisted in accessing opportunities for basic education.
We apologize for the delay in your promised mid-term report. When we reviewed the repayment status of your loan, it became apparent that your mid-term report had somehow slipped through the cracks. While World Vision has been giving microloans to the enterprising poor for over 20 years, Micro is a brand-new program. Our field staff has received updated training regarding the importance of prompt reporting back to donors, and you should be receiving an update soon.
Please let me assure you that what happened in this case is not typical of World Vision or Micro. We continue to be committed to providing you and all of our donors with consistent high-quality feedback. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to contact us at 1-888-511-6444 or by email at http://www.worldvisionmicro.org/pages/contact. Thank you for your continued support!
Mr. Marcelo Castillo, who buys and sells vegetables and fruits, could have purchased more goods with the loan. Instead, he used the extra profits to buy a truck to help his wife with driving his grandaughter to and from their home.
They thought that their grandaughter would be able to learn how to make a living, now that she is growing up, even though they are working hard to give her a different way for her to have a better future.
Mr. and Mrs. Marcelo's goals are to save some money and to build their house on some land that they own, and to expand it out as a fruit store.
Thank you for supporting Mr. Marcelo and World Vision Micro!
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