Welcoming Change

Change, as most people say, is inevitable. Change leads to new beginnings. It gives a chance to improve one’s current situation.

For Arlita Candaba, a mother of three, inviting change in their family’s financial aspect made their lives better.

“Over the years, I have only availed of CARD, Inc.’s savings account,” said Mrs. Candaba, a member of Center for Agriculture and Rural Development (CARD), Inc. (A Microfinance NGO) for 14 years.

Mrs. Candaba works as a saleslady in her sister’s grocery store. Aside from tending the store, she also serves as a Barangay Health Worker in their community. Her husband, meanwhile, works as a mason. For Mrs. Candaba and her family, managing their finances has been easier with CARD’s financial service.

Continued Mrs. Candaba, “I use most of our family’s savings for our household expenses, as well as to finance urgent situations. For those years, I have been content with CARD, Inc.’s service. Until an Account Officer convinced me to avail of their loan.”

Narrated Mrs. Candaba, an Account Officer invited her to try CARD’s loan products after finding out that she only has savings account.

More than a decade after her membership, Mrs. Candaba availed of CARD’s loan product. She applied for an educational loan, through CARD’s Zero Dropout Program, to support her three children who are still attending school.

“I was immediately convinced with the educational loan because of its low interest rate compared to other loans,” said Mrs. Candaba. 

Her beneficiaries are children Maxine Jobelle Candaba, a Grade 7 student, and Martin Gerald Candaba, a Grade 5 pupil of Catacte Elementary School. Both of her children are achievers in their respective schools. 

Her eldest, Maxine, has a knack for writing, as she has been the recipient of the Column Writer Award, and third placer in her school’s Poetry Contest. Aside from excelling academically, Maxine is also an active member of the Girl Scouts of the Philippines. 

Meanwhile, Martin was awarded Best in Perseverance and is also a member of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines.

Despite their young age, the two have a grand dream for themselves.

“I love sharing what I have learned with little children. I also look up to my aunts who work as teachers. Because of this, I wish to be like them and be a teacher in the future,” said Maxine.

Martin, on the other hand, said he wants to become a computer engineer.

Said Mrs. Candaba on her children’s dreams, “I am happy that they have a vision for their future. As a mother, I give them my full support and guidance as they work toward achieving their ambition.”

“With CARD’s Zero Dropout Program, I am secure that my children are one step closer to their dreams. Never had I any regret availing this program. I am happy that I embraced this change,” ended Mrs. Candaba.

Zero Dropout Program is one of the educational programs of CARD Mutually Reinforcing Institutions (CARD MRI), a social development organization that is in the business of ending poverty. Launched in 2011, the program already provided financial assistance to socioeconomically challenged families with children in the elementary and high school levels (Grade 7-10). As of June 2019, the program has benefited 1,043,382 students.