This is 40-year-old Laxmi N.. She is married and has four children aged 15, 18, 21 and 24. In 1990, Laxmi established a kitchen utensils business. Working eight hours a day, seven days a week, she is able to support her family. Laxmi has already received and successfully repaid five loans from Kiva partner, Patan Business and Professional Women, and used her most recent loan to purchase kitchen utensils for her shop. In the future, Laxmi plans to improve the economic condition of her family. She thanks you for your support.

In Nepal, large supermarkets are rare. Instead, most items can be found in the small, densely packed pasals that line the streets of every city and village. Piled high with utensils, paper goods, and anything else one would need, these stores are your one-stop shop in Nepal. Although usually packed into a space no larger than 100 square feet, these stores carry a sizable and diverse inventory. With the help of a Kiva loan, pasal owners are able to keep inventory up and their customers happy. Competition is fierce, but with extra capital and a bit of creativity, the opportunity for profit is there.

About Patan Business and Professional Women

This loan was administered by Kiva's local partner MFI, Patan Business and Professional Women. Patan BPW became Kiva's first field partner in Nepal in 2007. Patan BPW operates throughout the Kathmandu Valley, offering microcredit and business training programs to low-income women. In addition to providing economic opportunity to its clients, Patan BPW seeks to empower Nepali women within the home and community.