May 2009

Violette: I live in a three-bedroom apartment with brick walls, a clay-tiled roof and wooden floors. There is one bedroom, a living room and a dining room with a kitchen. I live with my kid and we have both running water and electricity.

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Jan 2009

Hello from Violette. In my family we eat three meals a day and I am always the one who shops for the food and prepares it. For example, yesterday, we ate white rice for breakfast. For lunch, we had rice with chopped meat and macaroni, and for dinner we had plain rice. My family's favorite food is rice with fish sauce.

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Dec 2008

Hello, it's me, Violette. The illness that my family has most often is diarrhea. The climate of Ambalavao is different than other places because of our geographical location and that plays a big role in our climate. For me, I like the rainy season the most because there is enough water, something we lack at other times of the year. At the present moment, it is the rainy season here and that is good because we do not have to get up so early to go get water many kilometers away. The rain does not affect my business as people always need charcoal.

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Nov 2008

Hello! It's Violette; I wake up at 5am to make breakfast and I also clean the house. After breakfast I get my children ready for school and once they have left I leave to sell second hand articles in the market and stay there all day until the evning when i come home to make dinner. Every day is like this, even Sunday.

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Sep 2008

Hello! It's me, Violette. I don't have children yet who go to school and I am not longer at school, so I do not know the difference between this year and last year. But for me, my parents always prepared for school expenses by planning ahead and saving money so it did not pose a problem for their children even though there was always an increase in costs. That is normal - the cost of everything increases.

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Aug 2008

Hello! It's me, Rabodoarimanga. My used clothing business is doing well at this time even though the price has decereased a little because it is after the holiday. For the vacation, my child will spend his free time playing. To celebrate Independence Day we went to the stadium to watch the prade and for lunch, we ate with the family of my husband because this is the only time that we can all get together. We stayed home in the afternoon.

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Jul 2008

Hello! It's me, Rabodoarimanga. The sales of the used clothing is going well at this time because the people are getting ready for Independence Day. It is the holiday which is the most celebrated in the Betsileo region because it is at this time that everyone has finished the harvest and has money. Thus, one wants to be well dressed for the celebration. We will take advantage of this too, because we want to celebrate also, but we will celebrate in a simple way.

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Jun 2008

Hello from Violette. I am happy that I was able to repay the first loan installment on time. My business is going well and with the profits I have been earning I hope I will be able to continue repaying the loan. I am also thankful for the trianing we received, it has helped me better manage my business. Thank yuo for your support!

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May 2008

Violette here. I am happy to receive this loan because I have been able to start a small business which is bringing me proftis. With the profits I am proud to be improving the life of my family. Thank you for your support and confidence!

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