To coincide with meal times, handmade corn tortillas are cooked three times per day in “tortillerias” or tortillas shops throughout Guatemala. They are a staple food and best served hot and fresh. Twenty-one year old Santa, a mother of two children who are two and three years old, opened a “tortilleria” seven months ago. She works out of her home. She also raises chickens, pigs, and cattle. Santa used her income from her animal husbandry business to open the “tortilleria”. Her husband left two years ago to find work and earn income in the United States. Santa’s goals are to expand her businesses and open two new ones selling casual clothing and shoes. She requests her first Kiva loan to buy corn and gas for the “tortilleria”.

Santa is the Secretary of the Friendship Bridge Trust Bank “Las Victorias” located in the department of Quiche. There are six other Maya K’iche women in the group and most of them have the same businesses as Santa. They benefit greatly from participating in the “Microcredit Plus” program of loans, monthly educational training (health, family, women, business) and bi-monthly health care services (exams, consults, family planning). Recent topics for the training have been about wise business administration, empowerment, health and self-esteem. Since many of the women are like Santa who only attended school for two years, the training is imperative for their success.

Thank you, Kiva lenders, for lending a helping hand to Santa and her friends!