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Camanchaj is a small community outside the well-known town of Chichicastenango in the Western Highlands of Guatemala. Nine hard-working and entrepreneurial women have formed the Friendship Bridge Trust Bank, El Mojon, with dreams of having a better quality of life than their parents. The ladies speak their indigenous language, K’iche, and the facilitator from Friendship Bridge, who meets with them monthly, also speaks K'iche.
The secretary of the Trust Bank is Sonia who is a 20 year old, married woman. She was only able to stay in school until the 3rd grade. Sonia has a 4 year old son and she is very motivated to see him have a good education. Sonia has a traditional textile business and creates woven skirts called “cortes”, ornate woven belts called “fajas”, and beautifully woven and embroidered blouses called “huipiles”. She is requesting a loan that she will use to purchase various colors and varieties of thread. Sonia wants to have plenty of supplies available so that she can increase her inventory, increase sales, and generate more income. She is most appreciative of the opportunity to secure a loan as it is the motor that will power her business. Her ultimate goal is to increase her income so that she no longer depends on loans.
The Microcredit Plus Program of Friendship Bridge, that combines small loans and educational trainings, is very effective for the over 22,000 clients of the organization. Each month, a representative, called a facilitator, meets with each Trust Bank.
Thank you, Kiva investors, for taking the time to learn about Sonia and the ladies in the El Mojon Trust Bank. Armed with their new tools, they are poised to step into a brighter future benefiting themselves, their families, and their community outside of Chichicastenango.
In this group: Sonia, Tomasa, Octaviana, Juana, Amelia Jacinta, Tomasa, Juana Gricelda, Josefa
