Adding to basket
The seven women of the Friendship Bridge Communal Bank “Mujeres de Xoconilaj” speak Mam, a Mayan language. They live in a rural area in the Department of Huehuetenango. Their common objectives are to create opportunities for development and to elevate their standard of living. One of the members is María. She is 56 years old and serves as the group secretary. Her objectives are the same as the rest of the group. Even though her parents did not send her to school, she finished the sixth grade at the age of 20. María continues to learn and seized an opportunity to work as a health and education promoter. She feels pleased, thanks to her income, that she was able to help her husband with providing for the secondary and university education of their four children. María later opened a community pharmacy. She also sells clothes and raises animals. María is requesting her first Kiva loan to invest in two businesses. She will buy medicines and a few animals.
The program “Microcredit Plus” consists of loans, education, and health services. The “Plus” is a great help to María and the other women in her group. Every month, they learn about effective business practices, topics related to taking better care of their families (nutrition, hygiene, and health), and personal empowerment (self-esteem, body image, and women’s rights). María recalls that some of the topics she found useful were savings, investments, and precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
These women are very grateful to the Kiva lenders and send them their appreciation!
In this group: Herminia , Odilia , Maria Marquina , Herminia , Glendy Yadira , Eluvia , Lilian
Translated from Spanish by Kiva volunteer Ronan Reodica. View original language description.
