Adding to basket
Sixty-one-year-old Maria completed six years of adult school. She is married, and her husband works on a palm tree farm. The couple have five married daughters over the age of 22 and 12 grandchildren. The children left school after the ninth grade because there was no high school and it was dangerous where they lived in the department/state of Suchitepequez. Maria has been a seamstress, sold personal care products and raised pigs. Currently, she sells catalog products and live pigs. Sometimes, she butchers them and sells pork. She shares that it is time-consuming to care for the pigs. Her first Kiva loan would enable her to buy fencing materials including cement, wire and stone. Her goals are to improve her businesses and achieve new goals. As President of the Friendship Bridge Trust Bank “San Juan La Paz”, Maria calls the monthly meetings to order. There are seven women in the group, many of whom have the same businesses as Maria. Others have small restaurants, sell used clothing, and have small portable stores that they set up on farms. At their meetings, the women make loan payments and then participate in an educational training, part of the “Microcredit Plus” program (loans, education, healthcare). Topics range from health and business to family matters and women’s issues. Every other month, they have access to basic health care services that include consults, exams and more delivered by a traveling nurse. Thank you, Kiva lenders!
In this group: Maria Elena, Marina Evelyn , Linery Guadalupe, Rosalina , Mirna Julisa , Amabilia Estela , Ubilda Elena
