Adding to basket
Irma, 33, is from the indigenous community of Donaciano Ojea, a community whose main source of employment is the elaboration of handicrafts from "ocoshal" which is the raw material they obtain from pine trees. In the community there are brigades of men who take care of the forests in order to maintain the village. During summer vacation the children go off to the forests to collect "ocoshal" to sell to the community artisans. In this way they help their parents cover household expenses and sometimes buy themselves sweets and refreshments.
Irma has three children who are in elementary school. She has an avocado field that she has been cultivating for two years. The field does not produce avocados yet because the plants are small but in a year they should be ready. She also makes ocoshal crafts that she sells to buyers who visit the community. She would like to sell them in other cities to earn a little more and to make her beautiful pine palm crafts well known.
She is requesting loan through VisionFund to buy organic fertilizer called "estiércol de borrego" (sheep manure) and insecticides to improve her cropland. She will also buy material for her crafts such as thread in different colors, needles, chlorine, soap and a large tub to wash the ocoshal. She says: "I am grateful to the lending institution for having confidence in me and for giving me loans to improve my businesses so I can give my children a better life."
The other members of the Chibaty Group are María Leucadia, Amelia and María Crisanta. They will use their loans to buy supplies to improve their avocado fields and to buy material to make ocoshal crafts.
In this group: Maria Leucadia, Amelia, Irma, Maria Crisanta
Translated from Spanish by Kiva volunteer Sherry Bess. View original language description.
