Flor Del Cerro #1 Group

Flor del Cerro #1 is a group formed by women who all come from a place called Cerro de Oro (Gold Mountain), which is located in the outskirts of Atitlán Lake. Legend has is that the Mayans would extract gold from this mountain and that around this mountain, the sand was golden in color.

When one walks through the streets of Cerro de Oro, one can see that they are colored with the beautiful traditional outfits that the indigenous women wear daily. The streets are also adorned with the beautiful sound that the people produce when they speak the Maya-Tzutujil language, a dialect from the region.

Unfortunately, not everything is rose-colored in Cerro de Oro. Poverty and its consequences, such as malnutrition and illiteracy, are a great obstacle toward the development of the town. For this reason, Friendship Bridge decided to come to aid this town.

Despite the poverty in this region, the women of Flor de Cerro #1 are decided in working toward achieving a fulfilling life where they can meet the necessities of their families, and Friendship Bridge and Kiva are willing to support them.

All the women that belong to Flor del Cerro #1 work in the textile sector. Half of them are weavers and utilize their credit to purchase threads and weave the beautiful blouses they call huipiles that can be seen in the photograph. The other half uses their credit for the resale of clothing. They purchase traditional clothing whether it be huipiles, long skirts called cortes, aprons and shawls to later resell in the town, or American clothing, which they buy in the capital city.

Loans really make an impact in the lives of these women. Many of them have worked as laborers, store employees or housekeepers, earning an income that was barely enough to cover their expenses. However, with the loan, they are now entrepreneurs who own their own business. This is a radical change in their lives.

If we continue to help them, this change will become a reality. The reality they wish to live, which is to own a successful business with which they do not have to depend on a loan to be prosperous. With our help this dream can move forth…

Translated from Spanish by Evelyn Garcia, Kiva Volunteer.

Flor del Cerro #1 es un grupo conformado por mujeres que provienen de un lugar llamado Cerro de Oro. Cerro de Oro está ubicado a las orillas del Lago Atitlán. La leyenda dice que antiguamente los mayas extraían el oro de este cerro y que a las orillas de este hermoso cerro la arena era de color dorada.

Cuando uno camina por las calles de Cerro de Oro uno puede notar que ellas están pintadas con los bellos trajes tradicionales que lucen las mujeres indígenas todos los días. Las calles también estan ambientadas por el bellos sonido que producen las personas al hablar el idioma Maya-Tzutujil, un dialecto de es área.

Lastimosamente, en Cerro de Oro no todo es color de rosa, la pobreza y sus consecuencias como problemas de desnutrición y analfabetismo son un gran obstáculo para el desarrollo del pueblo. Es por eso que Friendship Bridge decidió incursionar en este lugar.

A pesar de la pobreza en el área las mujeres de Flor de Cerro #1 están decididas a luchar por conseguir una vida plena donde ellas y sus familias puedan satisfacer las necesidades de sus familias y Friendship Bridge y Kiva están dispuestos a apoyarlas.

Todas las clientes que pertenecen a Flor del Cerro #1 trabajan en el sector textil. La metida de ellas son tejedoras y ellas utilizan su crédito para comprar hilo y tejer las bellas blusas llamadas huipiles que están en las fotos. La otra parte utiliza su crédito para la reventa de ropa. Ellas compran ropa tradicional ya sea huipiles, faldas largas llamadas cortes, delantales y perrajes para luego revenderlos en el pueblo o ropa americana que la compran en la capital.

El crédito realmente causa un impacto en la vida de estas mujeres. Muchas de ellas han trabajando como mano de obra, empleadas de una tienda o domésticas ganando un sueldo que con las justas les alcanzaba para cubrir sus gastos. Sin embargo, ahora con el préstamo ellas ya son empresarias y tienen un negocio propio y esto es un cambio radical en sus vidas.

Si nosotros las seguimos ayudando este cambio va a poder convertirse en una realidad. La realidad que ellas quieren vivir, tener un negocio propio que sea exitoso y en el cual no tengan que depender de un préstamo para seguir adelante. Con nuestro apoyo este sueño se puede volver adelante…


About Group Loans
In a group loan, each member of the group receives an individual loan but is part of a group of individuals bound by a group guarantee. Under this arrangement, each member of the group supports one another and is responsible for paying back the loans of their fellow group members if someone is delinquent or defaults. Learn more