Difficult beginnings
When Corazon Desoy married her husband Rolando at the age of 15, she knew things would be difficult for them. As elementary graduates, they both lacked the education which would find them steady work. And, as Cora gave birth to eight children, they had to work even harder to keep their family together and raise their children.
Looking for work
In 2002, Cora left their hometown of Mindanao with
the hope of getting a visa, which would allow her to work as a domestic helper in Kuwait. She thought she could increase the family income this way, but she never had the chance to find out after she failed the necessary medical examination, due to a cyst that appeared on her x-ray. Cora knew then she would never qualify for a visa because she had no money for an operation.
She went to live with her Aunt in Tarlac, but she missed her family greatly. Wanting to reunite them, her husband sold their house and lot in Mindanao in order to join her. But even the money from the sale did not cover the costs of transporting their family, and Rolando had to sell his wristwatch to cover the rest of their fare.
Soon, Cora and her family moved out of her Aunt’s house and settled in Mainang. Here, Cora learnt that she could make money from collecting recyclable goods and reselling them to junk shops, so she started a junk business with her family. After two years of running this business, a friend told her about ASKI and she decided to join one of their group lending programs.
Cora used her family savings and the loan from ASKI to purchase a motorcycle, which the family use to collect recyclable goods like plastic bottles, old newspapers, paper and steel.
Building for the future
Cora is now on her second loan cycle, and she and her husband are earning approximately 1,000 to 1,500 pesos (A$26-$39) a day, although 500 pesos goes towards repaying their motorcycle loan. They are constructing a new house themselves, adding to it as they can afford building materials. Currently, only one fourth of the house has a roof, they are all sleeping in the same room and they have to use their neighbour’s water source. But they are looking to the future, and Cora is confident she will achieve her dream of owning her own junk shop, buying goods from others rather than collecting them herself.
DSBN is pleased to announce our first “More than just business” initiative - sponsorship of a "Trust Bank" in West Timor.
Eighty percent of the West Timor's population are considered poor and the majority live in rural areas where they are dependent on agricultural based activities for survival. The need in West Timor is great as its people continue their struggle to survive. Please contact us if you are interested in contributing.
Empowering small business owners!
