Adding to basket
Alicia is a busy mother with 4 girls who are now over 2 years old. Three of the girls attend kindergarten and primary school. She is 30 years old and completed formal education until sixth grade.
For 4 years, she has sold prepared foods, snacks and seasonal fruits. With her income, Alicia has been able to support household expenses, as well as the education of her daughters. Her husband is a day labourer and has also contributed.
She requests the first loan from Kiva to buy ingredients to continue preparing her delicious meals, and seasonal fruits (mango, orange).
Alicia is secretary of the “Maria Auxiliadora” Friendship Bridge Communal Bank. There are 7 energetic women in the communal bank who sell prepared foods, fruits, firewood, basic grains (corn, beans), live and butchered chickens, and casual clothing. Some of the women speak the Mayan language Tzutuhil, others speak K'iche and the majority speak Spanish.
They look forward to the monthly meetings when they make loan payments, participate in educational trainings and support each other. Since women often have little or no formal education, educational talks are vitally important and cover one aspect of four topics: business, health, family, women.
Friendship Bridge calls the combination of loans, education and health care “Microcredit Plus”. It works!
Thank you, Kiva lenders, for the important role you play in the lives of Alicia and her friends!
In this group: Hilda Maria Magdalena, Alicia Concepcion , Angelina, Maria Victoria , Julia Angelica , Vilma Josefina , Elena
Translated from Spanish by Kiva volunteer E. Power. View original language description.
