Mujeres Artesanas Exchimal Group

Traditional Mayan blouses called “huipiles” have been worn for centuries throughout Guatemala. They are woven and embroidered with unique and quite colorful designs. Lorenza is a 27-year-old woman who is married to a farmer and has a one-year-old son. She started a business embroidering beautiful textiles three years ago. Lorenza sells her products at a local market in the Department of Huehuetenango where she lives. She also takes custom orders. Her work is of high quality, so the demand is high. She has one employee. To earn extra income, Lorenza raises chickens and pigs. Her goals are to attract new customers, increase her inventory, and earn more income. She is requesting her first Kiva loan to buy spools of thread in many different colors, as well as chickens, pigs, and livestock feed.

Lorenza is one of nine Maya K’iche’ women in the Friendship Bridge Trust Bank “Mujeres Artesanas Exchimal”. The “Microcredit Plus” program offers these women an opportunity to learn about business, health, women’s issues, and family dynamics in their monthly meetings. A facilitator uses pictures, diagrams, role-playing, and games to convey the information to the women, which they often share with family and friends. This is essential for their success because many of them have little or no formal education. Lorenza has a sixth-grade education.

Thank you, Kiva lenders, for your much-appreciated support!

Note: The children’s faces have been obscured in the photo.

In this group: Petrona , Maria , Floria Angelina , Regina , Victoriana , Lorenza , Juana , Maria , Natalia Filomena