Adding to basket
Forty-seven-year-old Ruth, a mother of two children who are ten and nineteen years old, is proud that both of them go to school. She has a sixth grade education and worked in a factory to help earn income for her parents. Ruth’s husband is a bricklayer.
For five years, Ruth has sold firewood from her home. Her children help her attend to customers. Her goals are to increase her income and become more financially independent. She is requesting her second Kiva loan to buy more firewood to resell. Firewood is always in great demand in rural areas because it is also used for cooking and heating.
Seven women elected Ruth to be the Treasurer of their Friendship Bridge Trust Bank group, “Mujeres con Proposito” or “Women with Purpose.” They all live in the department of Suchitepequez and are bakers, cooks, fruit and vegetable vendors, and raise animals. Others sell chicken by the pound or bread. They look forward to monthly meetings when a facilitator designs an interactive educational training, part of the “Microcredit Plus” program of loans, monthly educational training, and bi-monthly health care services. Recent topics for the training have been about family planning, nutrition, savings, and being a successful entrepreneur. Every two months, they have access to basic healthcare services.
Thank you, Kiva lenders, for helping Ruth and her friends help themselves!
In this group: Gualquiria Betzabeth , Ana Clemencia, Candelaria, Manuela De Jesus , Ruth Noemi , Evelyn Alicia , Vilma Marlene, Alida Candelaria
