Adding to basket
Hand-crafted beaded and crocheted jewelry, made by Maya ladies like 26-year-old Martha, is very beautiful. She makes colorful bracelets, keychains, pendants, and handbags with beads and crochet. It takes time and imagination to fabricate a piece, and Martha employs 3 other people to assist her.
She is able to handle bookkeeping for the business with her 6 years of formal education. With her income, she is able to help her husband cover household expenses and the education of their 2 children (5 and 9). Martha is requesting her first Kiva loan to buy crochet needles, beads, and a large quantity of high-quality thread.
Martha is the treasurer of the Friendship Bridge Trust Bank “Virgen del Rosario” and lives in a rural area in the department/state of Quiche. There are 6 other ladies in her group, and they participate in the “Microcredit Plus” program of loans, education, and health care.
They gain knowledge in their monthly educational sessions delivered by a facilitator, who shares relevant information about health, family matters, women’s issues, and business. The ladies apply what they learn toward their businesses, including tortilla shops, small prepared foods, traditional textiles, and handicrafts.
Every 2 months, they have access to basic health care services when a visiting nurse offers blood sugar and blood pressure exams as well as Pap smears and family planning information. This is tremendously useful for the women.
Thank you, Kiva lenders, for the vital role you play in the lives of these ladies!
In this group: Juana Kasandra , Hilda Elizabet , Catarina Angelica , Martha Lucia , Petronila , Rosario , Lesvia Rosario
