Adding to basket
70-year-old Natalia, who is separated from her husband, has four grown children over the age of 41, and 16 grandchildren. All of her children completed the ninth grade and are married. She only has a first grade education because her parents were too poor and lacked funds to send her to school longer.
Natalia opened her business 20 years ago. She buys, grinds (with her own mill), and sells chocolate and corn flour. Natalia also makes delicious fresh corn tortillas three times daily to coincide with meal times. Her children help her with the business. With her fourth Kiva loan, she can buy spare parts for this mill, as well as corn for her tortilla business. Her goal is to expand the business.
Natalia has joined six other Maya K’iche women, who live in the state of Suchitepequez and formed the Friendship Bridge Trust Bank group, “Nueva Esperanza”. Some of the ladies have “tortillerias” (tortilla shops) like Natalia, while others have convenience stores or sell clothing and lotions.
The women reap benefits from participating in the “Microcredit Plus” program of loans, an interactive monthly educational training and bi-monthly health care services. The educational training (health, family, women, and business) and bi-monthly health care services (exams, consults, and family planning) are essential for their success as women, mothers, and entrepreneurs.
Thank you, Kiva lenders! Natalia and her friends have hope for a better future for themselves and their families!
In this group: Natalia , Alba Elizabeth , Elda Georgina , Ana Yulissa , Kimberly Mishel Elizabeth , Margarita, Maria Veronica
