Zenaida G. is a hardworking entrepreneur who is determined to improve her family's standard of living. She joined Kiva partner ASHI in 1996 to gain access to loans to support her entrepreneurial dreams.

The first few loans Zenaida received enabled her to support her family’s sewing business and their business selling curtains. The profit from these businesses has been the main source of family income. She is now requesting another ASHI loan through Kiva for the much larger amount of 45,000 PHP to purchase cotton fabrics and to support the maintenance of their sewing business. The capital will fund further expansion of the family ventures to support her dream for her children and her grandchildren to have a decent way of life.

With working capital, Zenaida’s business will keep on growing and she will be able to give pleasing service to her avid customers. Through the support of ASHI and Kiva, she hopes to see herself and her family soon improve their quality of living and move away from under the umbrella of poverty.

Zenaida hopes for an expanded business, therefore; she is requesting a loan of 45,000 pesos to pay for assorted cotton fabrics and other supplies. She requests this loan through ASHI so that she can support the expansion of her sewing business and be able to meet the growing demands of her customers.

Zenaida’s long-term goal is to have a tailoring shop a year from now so that she can give opportunity of employment to others, especially her extended relatives in her barangay (village). She hopes to maintain long-term sustainable businesses. During the course of her membership in ASHI, she has been a model member dedicated to managing her family’s operations.