Martin Control Systems, Inc.

Loans that Change Lives

Summer 2010

For over ten years, I was privileged to be a part of 4H, six of those years as a club advisor. 4H teaches kids how to be responsible, work together and develop passion for what they do. 4H also gives kids an opportunity to develop entrepreneurial thinking, something that I think every teenager should experience. Our 4H group was a livestock club and many of the kids purchased and raised their animals themselves (and maybe a little help from mom & dad). In most cases, the animals were taken to the State or County fair where they were shown and entered into various contests.

In the end, entries went to auction and the funds returned to the kids, usually with a small profit. The kids would use their money to purchase an animal for the next year's project and work harder with the hopes of placing higher and capturing more profit. At age 18, many of our group's kids went to college, investing their 4H money on their futures.

What a wonderful opportunity! These kids have learned about our food supply chain, how to make money and how be competitive. The by-product of their efforts typically has been self-improvement, a disposition of providing for one's self, and a sense of community service.

One of the founding principles of MartinCSI is the empowerment of employees having control over their own destiny. This is a two-way street of course as the employee has to want to have that control. In that spirit, and from the lessons of 4H, MartinCSI has been active in a Micro-Loan organization called KIVA.

Kiva's mission is to connect people, through lending, for the sake of alleviating poverty. It is active in over 200 countries and is almost 5 years old. Kiva lenders have loaned over $153m to more than 395,000 entrepreneurs who have a 99% repayment rate.

MartinCSI has now made four loans, three of which have been fully repaid. We've also introduced the 8th grade class of Holy Spirit School to Kiva and they now fund raise to make loans (they've made three so far).

Some of the loans MartinCSI has made that have been repaid are:

FARMING - Corn seedlings, fertilizer and pesticide

Ketut Jiwa lives in the village of Manistutu, West Bali in Indonesia. This village is located on a hillside, so for irrigation, sufficient for plantation or for household is difficult to be adequate. Irrigation is only dependent on the small stream flowing through the village where the water is only sufficient during the rainy season. Due to the insufficient water supply, Ketut Jiwa cannot grow plant or cultivate rice so he plants his farm with corn. And with inadequate fertilizer and quality seedlings, he often did not generate maximum yield from his plantation. With this loan, Ketut Jiwa was able to purchase fertilizer and quality corn seedlings so that his plantation generates maximum yield.

LIVESTOCK - To purchase more cattle to expand the business

Ilhomjon Abduvaliev lives in Isfara, Tajikistan and is a good father, hard-working farmer, and is steadfast in his endeavor of raising animals. Thanks to his wife's assistance, he has been able to raise and feed the animals and prepare them for sale at both fairs and marketplaces in nearby towns. Traveling to nearby towns increased his costs, but the increase was typically offset by the higher price he is able to get. With this loan, Ilhomjon was able to increase the amount of cattle he raises and sells.

ANIMAL SALES - To purchase three calves and FEED

Nasirov Ferzaga, who lives in Saatli, Azerbaijan, is a 54-year-old man who breeds cattle for meat production. He has bred and sold them to the local bazaar traders for four years. Meat is very popular, being eaten almost every day throughout Azerbaijan. Ferzaga is married with three children, and did not have enough income to cover his family's needs. With a loan, he purchased three additional calves and grain to feed them out.