For 20 years, Ana’s survival relied on what she could salvage from the garbage at the Payatas dumpsite in the north-eastern region of Quezon, Philippines. The enormous mound of waste stretches for more than 50 acres and is home to thousands of scavengers, trying to stay alive by foraging and scrounging for food and other items they can sell.

For Ana and her family, living every day on the dumpsite was a struggle – scavenging to survive meant digging through all types of waste – even deceased dogs. She was even forced to scavenge whilst nine months pregnant.

Now 33, Ana’s life has changed significantly since her time living on Payatas. Thanks to the help of a small loan of 5,000 pesos (A$91) from one of Opportunity International Australia’s microfinance partners in the Philippines, TSPI, Ana has been able to set up a small sari sari (grocery) shop.

Ana used the small loan to buy products that she could sell, such as: biscuits, lollies, shampoo and noodles. For everything she sold, she saved half of the earnings, investing this money back into her business. She works hard every day and is happy to have been able to watch her savings grow and her business prosper.

Ana is just one of the millions of people who have been empowered by microfinance. With this support, she has been able to build up her business and be able to afford nutritious food, medicine, safe drinking water and an education for her children. For more than 40 years, Opportunity has been providing microfinance and support services to people like Ana, through locally based microfinance providers such as TSPI.

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