Manuela Álvarez Sánchez

Thank you for your loan. It has been disbursed to Manuela Álvarez Sánchez by Friendship Bridge in Guatemala. We are excited to watch this business grow. Over the next 12 - 18 months, Friendship Bridge will be collecting repayments from this entrepreneur and posting progress updates on the Kiva website.

Manuela currently works hard in developing both of her businesses: making and selling tamales and making plastic flowers, primarily for All Saints Day. She used her loan to purchase corn and firewood needed for making tamales and also to purchase a large inventory of the supplies needed to make the flowers. Manuela reports that the tamale business has been going well and sales have been steady. She and her son have also been making a lot of flowers, although they will not see the added income from these efforts until October and November. Nevertheless, loan repayment has been going well, with all payments made on-time and in full.

Manuela is very grateful for her loan, without which she says she would not be able to purchase the supplies she needs to keep her businesses going. She says that having access to credit has helped improve her overall quality of life, as she is now able to dress and eat a little better. She enjoys working with her communal bank, Barrio la Llovisna, because the group is very united and happy, and that everyone gets along very well.

Manuela’s biggest concern right now is for her son, who is legally blind and whose vision continues to worsen. She says that he is very smart and would love to study more, but cannot see well enough to read. Nevertheless, he is able to help her in both of her businesses, and she is happy to work with him and have the increased productivity.

Manuela says that, overall, she is very content because she has been able to prosper thanks to the help of Friendship Bridge.