Jocelyn was born in 1968, the tenth of thirteen children. The family of thirteen, raised by their father alone, experienced extreme hardship. Although she had to work to help support her siblings, Jocelyn was able to complete high school and receiver her diploma. At twenty-two, she married Joel Sanipa, a deep-sea fisherman. Joel’s work dictated where and how they lived. With two children in tow, Jocelyn decided that a transient lifestyle wouldn’t work for their growing family. She decided to settle in her hometown where she built a make-shift home, while her husband continued to travel as a deep-sea fisherman. In 1999, she used her first loan to set up a small sari-sari store and expanded her store with her next loans. She savings earned from her sari-sari store to purchase 2 small fishing boats for her husband. Together they worked till they could afford to acquire six large fishing boats and a delivery truck that would take their catch to the local fish market, employing 30 people. Jocelyn then built a community store in a prime location in her community. The couple was able to build a two-story home, purchase 2 lots in a subdivision, and a family car. They are blessed with six children.
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