Adding to basket
The Women for Progress Communal Bank consists of seven members who are constantly striving for better days for their families, to offer them a better present and future. All members live in the Cuenca area. For both domestic and foreign tourists, this beautiful Ecuadorian city offers gorgeous natural scenery and the beauty of its historic center, home to historic remains such as the museum and Immaculate Conception Cathedral, one of the largest and most beautiful in America, as well as others dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries. Its cobblestone streets and houses with facades typical of the republican era give witness to the different European influences, with noble balconies and artistic ceilings. The city is also known as the “Valley of the Andes,” or the “Athens of Ecuador,” because it is the cradle of illustrious men and poets, who have made the city famous. For this occasion we are joined by Eulogio Rojas, coordinator of the Azuay regional area, along with members of the Women for Progress Communal Bank.
Jennifer G. lives in downtown Cuenca, is 26 years old, married, and has a two-year-old child. Her husband is a graphics designer in his father-in-law’s printing house, who took this over eight years ago. They do not have their own home at this time, but share a house with their in-laws, along with its expenses. Jennifer also works in the printing house, providing professional services in the accounting area, for three years now working from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., with the rest of her time devoted to her child.
She has been working with loans from this bank for three years now, thanks to her mother’s invitation to join this lovely group of enterprising women. The loans have served her for household expenses and for her husband’s printing house. Her next loan will go to purchase a printing press for the business.
Her goal is to have her own home.
Flora is 63 years old, and lives with her lawyer husband in her own home, achieved through their own efforts. They have three children, 35, 32, and 30 years of age, who are married and independent.
For eight years, Flora Campo has worked in the bank, being invited by a colleague from the artisans’ union, as she has been a seamstress by trade for fifty years, which she learned from her mother. She has a small shop in her home, where she fulfills orders, working from Monday to Saturday on a schedule that varies. With her next loan, she will buy fabric, thread, buttons, zippers, clasps, etc., to supply her workshop.
Her dream is to see all of her children in their own homes, which will bring comfort to the family.
In this group: Flora Mariana, Rosa Aurora, Antonieta Del Rocio, Isabel, Leyi Norka, Blanca Josefina, Jeniffer Araceli
Translated from Spanish by Kiva volunteer anonymized. View original language description.
