An Entrepreneur from the Dry Zone: Case #1

Before she joined Pact's microfinance project, Daw Khin Mar Wai used to live in a small house with an attached shop where she sold groceries and snacks. Her husband is a photographer and has a workshop that repairs batteries. Their small dwelling was inside Daw Khin's parent's compound. After their second son was born, the couple realized that it would be better to have a house of their own as their family grew bigger. They knew that they had to work hard to achieve their goal, but they would also need a capital injection to boost their income.

When Pact's microfinance project reached the Nat Kan village, Daw Khin Mar Wai immediately joined and become a member of the  "Daw Na" Credit and Savings Group. Daw Na is the name of a flower that gives a sweet fragrance.

Daw Khin Mar Wai received her first loan in the amount of 10,000 Kyats (US$22.00) on 14 December 1999, and with it she bought two small piglets worth 7000 Kyats, investing the remaining amount in her shop. After ten months she sold the pigs for 30,000 Kyats, realizing a profit of 20,000 Kyats. In December 2000 she received a second loan in the amount of 20,000 Kyats that she also invested in raising pigs. After eight months, the three pigs she bought with the second loan were sold for 54,000 Kyats gross resulting in a cash profit of 30,000 Kyats as well as three piglets.

With the profit made from pig raising and the income from her shop and her husband's photographic business, Daw Khin Mar Wai and her husband were able to perform a libation ceremony in which their sons were inducted as novices under the Buddhist order. This was a moment of great joy for the family, as the ceremony is the highest religious ceremony in the Buddhist religion.

In September 2001, Daw Khin Mar Wai applied for the small enterprise development loan offered by Pact through its microfinance program, receiving 80,000 Kyats. She invested the full amount in her house/shop which allowed her to expand her inventory by selling not only household goods but also some cosmetics and other items. In December 2001, she received another loan in the amount of 40,000 Kyats which she invested in her successful pig-raising business. She bought three new pigs and pig feed, leaving her with a total of four pigs. As a result of this asset's growth, the family was able to buy a plot of land in May 2002, which became the site of their new home to build their home.