"Relationships have changed a lot here,” Marta says. “Now there are several people who are entrepreneurs. Some have started small businesses. For example, my neighbor began by selling chickens at her house, but now she has a small store where she sells vegetables, produce, staples, rice, and many other things.”

For Marta, community transformation has become visible in her neighbors’ daily lives. As she describes it, progress spreads from person to person. The Purpose Group model has not only encouraged saving and investment but also strengthened connections among families in her town.

A Relational Approach to Leadership

“I serve my group with a lot of love,” she explains. “I am part of the group’s leadership, and the members respect me a lot because I am the one who assigns fines when someone breaks a rule. Now I feel more equipped to serve my community. Since joining the group, I have received a lot of personal and professional development. I am becoming a better person.”

Marta’s sense of purpose deepened as she took on responsibility in her Purpose Group, a small group that functions as a local savings-and-loan association supported by Plant With Purpose. Through the group, she learned principles of saving, lending, and community service.

Savings Changed Everything

Marta recalls that one decision changed her life. “The most important decision I have made since joining the group was to stay committed to saving in order to transform my life,” she says.

The training she received from Plant With Purpose staff encouraged her. “The facilitators who came here to give the workshops and trainings were the ones who gave me security and confidence,” Marta says. “I really liked the way they instill discipline in us and help us improve our activities. I realized that Plant With Purpose was a good example in the community.”

Her consistency in saving gradually built stability for her family. “I feel very enthusiastic about being part of the association,” she says. “I always stay positive because now I can rely on my savings to meet any need when it comes up. My attitude is to always continue being part of the group.”

In earlier years, financial emergencies could bring deep stress. “I no longer have to make difficult decisions,” Marta says. “Now, when I need a loan to buy medicine or handle an emergency, I go to my group, and I have the solution there. What used to be difficult has become easy.”

From Stress to Peace

For Marta, this resilience means peace of mind. She doesn’t have to choose between caring for her family and paying bills. Her Purpose Group provides both structure and security.

The most tangible improvement in Marta’s life has come through her land. “One of the most practical and significant improvements in my life,” she says, “is that, with my savings, I was able to buy land, which I have planted with cacao, oranges, avocado, sapote, malanga, pigeon peas, and other crops.”

She adds, “This would not have been possible without the support of Plant With Purpose. I am grateful to God for everything I have achieved.” 

Her diverse plantings follow an agroforestry approach, combining tree crops like cacao and avocado with short-term crops such as malanga and pigeon peas. This system builds soil fertility and provides harvests throughout the year. It reflects the broader goal of restoring both ecological and social relationships: when trees, soil, and people support one another, the whole environment grows stronger.

Marta’s leadership has earned her respect within her group and beyond. Her commitment to fairness and care has built trust among members. “I serve my group with love,” she says simply.

Plant With Purpose’s model relies on such relationships. Neighbors share responsibility and work together toward renewal. Marta’s community, once marked by economic uncertainty, now shows steady growth and collaboration through local entrepreneurship and improvements in farming.

Christian Faith is the Foundation for Stewardship

Her faith shapes how she understands every success. To Marta, saving, planting, and serving are all acts of stewardship. Through her Purpose Group, she has found both opportunity and a sense of belonging. Marta’s story reflects how Plant With Purpose’s mission is rooted in relationships that restore hope.

As her crops mature and her leadership strengthens, Marta’s influence continues to grow quietly within her village. She demonstrates how economic empowerment and environmental care begin with trust, community, and shared responsibility. These are relationships that endure.