Bernardina is 56-years-old and her spouse is Donato; they have 8 children but only two of them still live with her. Her house is humble but hers and it’s located in the Villa Ashaninka settlement (central jungle). Despite her age, she enjoys working in the fields. She’s been working in agriculture since she was 18-years-old. In all this time she’s learned that growing citrus fruit is the most profitable as long as you know how to do so.

She owns six parcels of land that the community gave her and others that she acquired through her efforts. She produces coffee on three of them and fruit on the rest. “The price of oranges is very low now, the crate only costs 5 soles, but even so I continue to work,” she mentions optimistically.

Starting in the month of October, citrus fruit prices improve so she saves fertilizer and manure in order to obtain harvests that month. Bernardina is happy with her orange crops because the work is more delicate while her spouse and children take care of the coffee plants; they also strive to attain better results day after day.

This is her loan #9 with MFP. She is grateful for the support she’s gotten all these years. She is very satisfied with belonging to her “Los Naranjales” (The Orange Groves) communal bank, a solid group with common projects.

With money from this loan she will be able to buy sacks of fertilizer and organic manure. She will also prepare coffee and orange nurseries to expand her crops. To do so she will buy seeds and special bags.