Adding to basket
For five years, 49-year-old Felipa has been a widow and the sole support of several of her five children (12-34 yrs). The eldest two have graduated from high school. The next two finished the eighth grade, and the youngest is in the fifth grade.
Felipa was able to send her children to school because of her successful business weaving traditional blouses/huipiles with beautiful butterfly and flower designs on a back-strap loom. She is able to weave three blouses per month to fill orders made by her customers. Felipa is requesting a third Kiva loan to buy a variety of high-quality, glossy German thread to increase her sales with new innovative designs.
There are eight Maya Kakchiquel-speaking women, including Felipa, in the Friendship Trust Bank "Xenacoj" located in the Department of Sacatepequez. The ladies have businesses weaving traditional blouses, managing convenience stores, or working in “tortillerias”, making tortillas three times per day.
They enjoy meeting once a month to participate in the educational sessions of the "Microcredit Plus" program and then making loan payments. The training sessions are developed by a facilitator who uses diagrams, games and role-playing to engage the ladies in topics like business management, women's issues (self-esteem/empowerment), family planning or good hygiene. Every other month they are able to see a visiting nurse for basic healthcare services.
Thank you, Kiva lenders, for your generous support!
In this group: Rosa , Maria Guadalupe , Dolores , Felipa , Maria Cirila , Maria Imelda , Rosa Eustaquia , Maria Elena
