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Villa Nueva, Guatemala / General Store
Story
Maria is a merchant who has been selling vegetables for many years. Working with the loans, she has been able to add daily use items to the sale of vegetables. Despite competition, she has been able to increase her sales, because customers see an advantage in buying everything they will use in one place. Maria strives to have the products that customers request.
With the loan, she will buy some spices, vegetables, and basic grains. Maria wishes to continue contributing to her children's schooling.
Guatemala /
FOOD PRODUCTION/SALES
Story
This group is represented by Sra. Juana who continues to sell fabric to make tablecloths and quilts, beds, televisions, and anything else that is secondhand white goods. Nowadays she also sells food outside the market when she offers breakfasts, lunches, and snacks.
Juana is grateful for the confidence we have in her and for continuing to provide help so she can grow her business. She has seen the growth, and one of her successes has been to open a new store in another area where her children help her to serve there.
She is seeking the loan to buy ingredients, meat, and vegetables to make the food. Her dream is to continue renovating her house.
San Juan Sacatepèquez, Guatemala
Food Production/Sales
Story
The third woman from the right in the photo is in charge of this group. Maria Carmela has had a business for several years selling tortillas and tones (tortillas filled with mashed black beans). Alongside her husband, she has supported her children in their education. She hopes to give them the best academically so they can hold their own in a profession and have better opportunities in life. She is very thankful to God for her business and to us for supporting her with the loans. She is requesting the loan to buy corn, beans, and firewood. Her group mates sell traditional clothing, children's clothing, firewood and logs, and they have also gathered to request the loan.
Santo Tomas Milpas Altas,Sacatepéquez, Guatemala
Food Production/Sales
Story
Maria Johanna is the first woman on the left side of the photo. She is a member and the leader of this Communal Bank.
Maria Johanna sells snacks such as tamales, chuchitos [miniature tamales], corn porridge, tostadas, enchiladas, bread, rellintos [plantain fritters stuffed with refried beans], and other foods.
She dreams of building a room on the second story of her house, remodeling the bathroom, and buying a vehicle. Maria Johanna is requesting a loan to buy vegetables, meats, basic grains, and other supplies for preparing snacks.
She is grateful for the opportunity she has been given and hopes to work for a long time.
Cotzal, Guatemala / Food
Story
Juana, age 49, grew up with her parents in a community in Cotzal. Her parents could not give her the opportunity to attend school due to limited financial resources. Instead of studying, they sent her to the mountains to collect wood, to grow vegetables, and to tend sheep.
When she was 20 years old, a young woman from CONALFA, Comité Nacional de Alfabetización [National Literacy Committee] came to the town and presented a plan of study for learning to read and write. Juana signed up and learned to read and write.
This year, Juana will invest her sixth loan in expanding her business, developing her activities of buying and selling corn, grinding corn, and two tortilla shops. The support provided by us has permitted her to give her children access to education, to cover family expenses, and to save for the future of her family.
San Marcos, Guatemala / General Store
Story
Many women who participate in the microloans are empowering themselves and getting ahead. That is the case of thirty-year-old Nancy. She is the married mother of a four-year-old son. Unfortunately, Nancy didn't finish her college education, but she occasionally works as a teacher. She has been taking care of her home.
To generate income, she opened a store four years ago to sell items of daily consumption. She rents a locale close to her house and her husbands tends the business.
At this time, Nancy is asking for a Kiva loan to make her business more stable. With the capital, she plans to buy items of daily consumption, beverages, and snacks. In the future, she plans on owning her own locale to avoid paying rent, and on investing in her son's education.
Nancy is the secretary of this Puent de Amistad communal bank, which is named “Mujeres Unidas El Tumbador”. They are seven women who live in the department/state of San Marcos. Some of them sell food like tortillas and cow's milk. Other run small stores selling items of daily consumption and catalog products. Nancy and the other women look forward to the monthly meetings when they participate in the educational sessions that provide them with vital information about four topics: health, family, women's issues, and business. For Nancy, the subject of how to invest her loan is useful.
Totonicapan, Guatemala / Clothing Sales
Story
Débora is 27 years old. She is married to a merchant who sells clothes, and together they have a five-year-old child.
Débora has only six years of formal education due to her family's scarce financial resources. To make her own income and support her household financially she has worked for three years selling casual clothes for men, women and children (especially pants, T-shirts and blouses). She sells as a street vendor in the nearby markets of her community.
At this time she seeks her third loan to buy more clothes. Débora visualizes having a locale to display her clothing, so she can avoid the different weather climates and care for her child.
Débora was elected secretary of the Puente de Amistad communal bank called Las Triunfadoras. They are seven Maya K'iche women who live in the department/state of Quetzaltenango.
San Marcos, Guatemala / General Store
Story
The Covid-19 pandemic has marked society, and one of the consequences was the loss of employment. Before it, many Guatemalans opted to undertake a business.
Others, like Eva, started to sell what the population needed at the time, food. She is 39 years old, and she started to sell live chickens. Her perseverance has taken her to integrate new businesses like a convenience store, selling food, and selling butchered chicken.
Seven enterprising women make up part of the Loma Bonita Communal Bank in the San Marcos department/state. They wish to invest in their businesses that include such things as convenience stores and selling food.
Villa Nueva, Guatemala / Bakery
Story
All the members of this group work in sales. Raquel is the leader of the group. She is married and has 12 children. Three of them are grown and working and help financially support the household. The other nine are younger and attend public schools.
Raquel started her bakery business 19 years ago. This business provided her the opportunity to be close to her children and take care of them.
She is requesting a loan to buy a variety of molds in different sizes and a semi-industrial mixer, which will help her make her cakes faster.
Raquel is an enthusiastic and enterprising person who only wants to continue with her business and for her children to finish school.
Sumpango, Sacatepequez, Guatemala / Food Production/Sales
Story
Ana Lucrecia continues as the representative of this group. She continues with her tortilla sales. She has been a very prosperous person in her business, as it has helped her get ahead with her household expenses and supporting her children.
Ana Lucrecia again asks for a loan to purchase corn wholesale and firewood, as purchasing in this way gives her better earnings because she purchases at a lower price.
Story
Aura Maritza is the representative of the trust group "Josue 1.9". She works selling soft drinks, dairy products, pasta, and catalog products. She also sells bread and stuffed peppers wholesale. She has managed to make her business grow thanks to her daily effort. She started her business with few products, and now her shop has grown impressively and she has managed to supply it since her profits have been good.
She requests a new loan to invest in necessary items, hoping you will continue to support her and authorize it. Her dream is to be able to install electricity in her house since she just finished paying for it.