Aracely Maribel Aguilar Zacarias

Thank you for your loan. It has been disbursed to Aracely Maribel Aguilar Zacarias by FAPE in Guatemala. We are excited to watch this business grow. Over the next 12 months, FAPE will be collecting repayments from this entrepreneur and posting progress updates on the Kiva website.

Araceley happily reports on the success of her and her husband’s business. 80% of her loan money was invested in the purchase of auto parts such as mufflers, exhausts, bumpers, etc. The other 20% was used to invest in her business of making typical woven blouses. Araceley says that business has declined some and they have seen lower sales, but they have also opened another shop San Pedro Sacatepéquez and hope to continue expanding the business. The blouses that Araceley makes also help to support the family. She works closely with her husband to manage their growing businesses and to continue pushing forward as a family. The three eldest of their five children are already in the school and Araceley and her husband make sure to prioritize their children’s education. They would like to see their children grow up to be professionals, but above all that they have opportunities that they themselves did not have. Araceley’s husband would also one day like to finish school as he never was able to. Their goal for the business is to continue working hard, to expand further and to be able to provide excellent service to their loyal customers.

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Araceley felizmente informe sobre la deferencia de éxito en su negocio. El 80% del capital fue invertido en la compra de platos, y todo tipo de silenciadores. El otro 20% lo utilizo para la elaboración de blusas de tela típica. Comenta que a pesar de que el negocio ha bajado en ventas no ha sido obstáculo grande para crecer, ya que hoy cuentan con otro negocio mas en el lugar de San Pedro Sacatepéquez. Es pequeño pero la meta es crecer día con día, al lado de su esposo y familia. Tres niños ya están en la escuala y dos se quedan en casa. La vision como padres es que sus hijos sean personas profesionales, prosperas pero sobre todo negociantes. Las blusas de tela también son muy vendibles y eso es una ayuda para la familia. La meta es seguir trabajando ya que el nuevo negocio esta empezando y el objetivo es llenar y crecer ya que tienen clientes muy leales que cada día piden más.

Dear Kiva Lender,

You made a loan to a Kiva borrower in Guatemala that was posted by one of Kiva’s local field partners, FAPE (Fundación Para la Pequeña Empresa). This message is to update you on the impact that Kiva funds Kiva funds have made through FAPE and to let you know how you can continue to support FAPE’s work to provide financial services to the underserved and to alleviate poverty - one loan at a time.

Over the past three months, I have been working with FAPE in Guatemala City, and I have had the opportunity to get to know the incredibly hard-working staff and clients that make this foundation what it is. FAPE was founded over 25 years ago and holds a strong social mission to help improve the lives of Guatemalans living in a state of poverty in both urban and rural areas.

The core of FAPE’s lending structure is in providing small group loans; however, with the support of Kiva and lenders like you, they have begun offering slightly larger individual loans to borrowers with proven track records. The partnership with Kiva has allowed FAPE to support their clients in this new way and has in turn provided their clients with access to larger loans. Over the past year and a half of working with Kiva, FAPE has lent $150,000 to over 147 borrowers and has served to expand businesses and to improve the quality of life of many clients.

In addition to offering small business loans, FAPE also works with a number of pilot projects in an attempt to continue providing support and education to the communities they serve. A few of these projects include providing in-depth business training to clients, health care facilitation, and an extremely interesting project in the Santa Teresa Women’s Prison, located in Guatemala City.

FAPE was one of the only organizations to respond to the Guatemalan government’s request for rehabilitation programs in the prisons. Over the past two years, they have conducted a series of small business training seminars for the female prisoners and have disbursed about eight small loans – four of which were funded by Kiva lenders. I had the opportunity to visit Santa Teresa Prison twice during my time in Guatemala and spoke with several of the women, and I was overwhelmed by their commitment, responsibility, and true desire to learn.

One of the most dedicated women of the group is Mirna Lau. Mirna has a bubbly personality, an infectious smile, and a truly entrepreneurial spirit. Near the end of 2008, she took out a loan of $625 for a bread and pastry business that she planned to start. Much of the food consumed at Santa Teresa is brought in by the families and friends of prisoners and then sold to other inmates. Soon after receiving her loan, Mirna’s business plans fell apart. Rather than dwell on her misfortune, and knowing that she had monthly payments to make, Mirna taught herself how to make crafts out of felt and within months had built up a profitable business. In February and March of this year, she sold over 60 items and continues to have a waiting list for custom orders. She has had to start hiring other women to help her in order to meet the demand. When I spoke with Mirna, she was incredibly grateful to FAPE and to the Kiva investors who believe in her and who have given her an opportunity that she otherwise would never have had.

Mirna’s story exemplifies the true spirit and objectives of FAPE. The foundation isn’t just about issuing loans. It’s about creating a supportive and long-lasting relationship with the clients and about providing opportunity where oftentimes there is none.

From Kiva, FAPE and all the hard working borrowers here in Guatemala, we thank you for your continued support.

Submitted by Andrea Bouch, Kiva Fellow with FAPE