Segundo, age 50, and his life partner, Mery, have two children, ages 12 and 8. They live together in their own house in Alto Incariado, a native community.
He has been farming for over 30 years. In all of this time he has managed to get four “cuadras” [one cuadra = 6,400 square meters] of farmland where he grows coffee and bananas. He produces coffee on two of the cuadras, and from that he harvests about 30 or 35 sacks. He gets good income when he sells them. Thanks to the help from the day workers he hires for the work, he is able to tend to his crops in a timely manner and have them ready for the harvest months.
He also has a small grocery store. From this business he gets income to cover their basic necessities. He now hopes to expand his production by purchasing new coffee plants and fertilizer.
This is his fifth loan from MFP. He pledges to be punctual with his monthly payments. He belongs to the Shantzoshis communal bank, and he is pleased by the team work.
He will use this loan to buy bags of organic fertilizer for his land. He will use a small percentage to get merchandise for his grocery store.
Translated from Spanish by Kiva volunteer Ginny Kalish. View original language description.