“Dahil sa Panata at sa Usapang Paglago ng TSPI na itinuturo sa amin, naisip ko na ayusin ko ang aking sarili dahil ako rin naman ang nahihirapan. Pinipilit ko na ngayong gawin kung ano ang nasa kasulatan. (Learning from the TSPI member pledge and Usapang paglago module that is regularly shared with us, I decided to put my life in order, because it is also me who suffer. I am now trying my best to obey God’s word.) ”– Nanay Rechelda
Nanay Rechelda Estoque admitted that she was once a delinquent member of TSPI. There were occasions when she was not able to pay her weekly dues on time due to over indebtedness. Aside from TSPI, she borrowed money from other MFIs and used a bigger portion of the loan proceeds for her personal needs instead of funding her business. Consequently, she experienced financial problems and her co-members were no longer willing to help her financially.
She had a change in attitude when she was prompted by the member’s pledge that says, “God loves me. My business is a blessing from His graciousness. It is my responsibility to manage it properly for the welfare of my family, co-members and community”. Though they recite the pledge regularly, its message suddenly dawned on her one day. This change of heart had brought her to a better situation. She became prudent in borrowing money and availed of loans from TSPI only. She learned how to become disciplined, diligent and obedient to the word of God. She eventually regained the trust of her co-members. Later on, she was elected to serve as one of the Center officers and eventually became a Grand Council officer, the branch-wide client organization.
Nanay Rechelda learned the value of good stewardship. Being true to the pledge, she is committed to manage her business properly. Meeting the needs of her customers is her own way of serving her community.