Ana Samoa

Thank you for your loan. It has been disbursed to Ana Samoa by South Pacific Business Development in Samoa. We are excited to watch this business grow. Over the next 18 - 18 months, South Pacific Business Development will be collecting repayments from this entrepreneur and posting progress updates on the Kiva website.

Ana is a mother of three who runs a Taro (Traditional Samoan Root) and banana plantation. Her husband regularly helps out in the Taro plantation as well as working his own job. The loan from SPBD has enabled Ana to purchase new equipment to use in the plantation, so she can ensure her produce is of the best quality. Selling the Taro to flea market owners earns her around 200 Tala (90 USD) per week. The most challenging issues Ana faces are common to all plantation owners. The chemical weed killer and labor are quite expensive, so she purchases the weed killer in bulk to lower costs. This is her fourth SPBD loan, and her goals for the future are to expand her plantation and start a plant nursery.

Ana Samoa is 26 years old and has 4 children. She is a member of Saleaumua center which is located in northern eastern Upolu.. She has plantation business, which she has been engaged in for 9 years. The loan officer who is in charge of her center says Ana is a very good member. She repays her loan on time, always attends her weekly meetings, and is enthusiastic about expanding her business.

She has used her previous loan to purchase chemicals, pesticides, bush knives and back sprayer for her business. She says her business is doing well. On good days she makes 150 Tala a day (1Tala=0.4USD) and on bad days she makes 80 Tala a day. She also says that the Kiva loans and SPBD loans are not only helping her business grow, but also helping her pay her children’s school fees, feed her family better, and improve her housing.

When asked if she has any words to the Kiva lenders, she said “The program has given me more opportunities to have and live a better future”