Merly Oberes

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Merly Oberes is an honest, hard-working mother of three with only an elementary education. Before joining Mentors, Merly and her husband Arnulfo worried about what they would feed their children—he sold fresh mushrooms supplied by a neighbor through consignment, but the earnings did not meet the needs of the family of four. The family lived in a small “nipa” hut without any household appliances or conveniences.

When a friend told Merly about Mentors International and its program of self-reliance, Merly was hesitant. She did not know how she could ever repay a loan. After attending an orientation meeting, though, Merly knew she would lose a good opportunity for growth if she did not join. She was impressed as she observed that Mentors taught principles that would help her take care of her family.

Since joining Mentors, Merly and her husband have successfully branched into the fruit stand business. They bought a motorcycle, which they use for transporting products, and they have a solid family savings account. In addition to feeding their children well, Merly and Arnulfo can also send them to school with a bright hope that they will be able to finish a college degree someday.

Merly and Arnulfo are grateful for Mentors’ loans and trainings, without which they insist they could not expand their business, learn to profit, and save for reinvestments. Mentors has enhanced the Oberes' capacity to earn and take advantage of business opportunities that come their way, which has allowed them, in turn, to provide for their greatest assets--their children.

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