Hope Through Microfinance
Early in the morning, while the fog from the valley still covers the rolling hills of the Cangahua area, the family of Pilataxi Avles Dionisio work their land. Pilataxi (28-years-old), his wife Rosa (23 years old), and their four children (ages 6-18 years old) are bearing the rain and cold to keep up their farming business, which supports their family.
They are a dedicated clan. Hardworking like you’ve never seen. With smiles larger than the sunrise, which on a clear day brightens the patch-worked landscape of the area for miles.
The land has been in their family forever. They farm white and green onions, and raise chickens and pigs. Pilataxi has been farming since he was a child, and so have his children.
“Our whole family works on this farm…our parents, brothers, sisters. Everyone pitches in to support the whole family,” says Pilataxi proud of their farm and even prouder of his family. But the work is laborious.
“It is hard work and especially during planting and harvesting we will wake at 4am and work until the late evening.”
In 2011 Pilataxi heard about business opportunities available through World Vision's microfinance work, VisionFund Ecuador, from a promotion in the nearby town of Cayamba. With the desire to more efficiently work the land to better his business and his family, he applied for a small loan of USD $500 which he received and used to purchase seeds and small farm equipment. The seeds would help to increase their crop and the equipment to make it easier on the whole family to work the land.
“We are doing this now because business is strong, but we don’t want to do this forever and we don’t want our children to do it because it is such hard work.” Pilataxi and his wife Rosa hope that their children can go to the city one day and pursue other kinds of work that is not so taxing of the body or their family’s future.
Having paid back their first loan, the family has applied for a second loan of USD $1800. “We want to pay off our loan and get a bigger loan to get a tractor. We rent a one now and it is expensive. A tractor will make it much easier and help us to do a better job.”
For now, the family labours together with one another’s company and support. “We love working together as a family and we never fight.”
“Our favourite thing is working together and pulling out the onions from the ground because it means money is coming soon.”
Learn more about World Vision's microfinance subsidiary, VisionFund.