Meet Merlin from Honduras.
Merlin and her family live in a small city in a region on the northern coast of Honduras. The area is home to white sand beaches, rich birdlife, and lagoons. Although surrounded by natural beauty and wildlife, Merlin’s family has suffered in the wake of COVID-19.
Merlin has received 11 loans with WE Partner, Adelante, over the last five years. Her first loan of 3,000 Lempira ($122) in January 2016 provided inventory for her burgeoning pulperia (small grocery) business. With issues related to decreased demand combined with raw product supply challenges during the pandemic, she was forced to close the shop and pivot to focus on selling fish that her husband was able to catch from the sea. That helped them survive for the first year of the pandemic.
Since the quarantine mandates have been lifted, Merlin sought to reopen her store. Adelante provided her with 20,000 Lempira to re-open, and she is thrilled to have her livelihood back. Through her diligence and hard work, Merlin has been able to successfully pay off all scheduled installments. Merlin is 34 years old and has two children who both attend school.