María is 41 years old. She is married and the mother of three children aged from 9 to 16 years old. With great determination and perseverance she learned to read at 25 years of age in a program for adults.
Overcoming challenges together with small loans she opened a business 14 years ago. She goes from door-to-door offering products from catalogs for personal and household use. Her objective is to continue to expand her business and start new ones to generate income to cover the household expenses. Thanks to the income she obtains María can provide complete education for her children. She plans to start a new business selling chickens by weight. She will set up a sales space outside her house as it is in a good place to offer this product. So she has come to the lenders at Kiva to request her 1st loan to buy chickens wholesale.
There are seven Tzutuhil Mayan women who make up the Friendship Bridge"s Las Estrellitas communal bank in the department/state of Sololá. What they have in common is they have undertaken businesses like catalog sales, selling chicken by weight, and selling casual clothing. Other women embroider traditional blouses and weave items with thread called “labores”. They participate in monthly educational sessions as part of the “Microcrédito Plus” program. They learn how to price products, about intelligent investment practices, women's rights and healthy eating.
Thank you Kiva lenders!
In this group: Martha Elizabeth, Maria Teresa , Clara Elisa , Isabel , Julia Isabel , Linda Concepcion , Dolores
Translated from Spanish by Kiva volunteer leonardo. View original language description.