Twenty-nine year old Olga shares that because she was only raised by her mother, there were no funds for her to continue school past the sixth grade. She is proud of her four children who range in age from one to fourteen and three attend school. Her husband weaves traditional skirts called “cortes”. Fourteen years ago, Olga started growing flowers and raising poultry. She sells both from her home and the marketplace in the department/state of Totonicapan. Three years ago, she began weaving traditional wrap-around skirts called “cortes”. Her husband and oldest daughter help her with this business. She requests her first Kiva loan to buy fertilizer for her flower farm and a loom for her weaving business. Her short term goal is to have her own space to display and sell her beautiful textiles.

Olga is the Secretary of the Friendship Bridge Trust Bank “Las Tejedoras de Pacorral”. There are eight other Maya K’iche women in the group who benefit greatly from participating in the “Microcredit Plus” program of loans, monthly educational training (business, health, family, women) and bi-monthly health care services (exams, consults, family planning). Olga and her friends realize many benefits from the program because they cannot access credit in a bank, have little or no formal education and health care is challenging to access and often, non-existent.

These women are very appreciative of Kiva lenders who fund their loans. Thank you to each of you for your generosity!