Las Pacayas 3 Group

Rosa, age 60, was not able to go to school.  She is her parents' oldest daughter.  Ever since she was little she worked in her neighbors' houses cleaning, washing, and ironing clothes.  When she was 12 years old she started to weave 'güipiles' [traditional, handwoven blouses].  This way she managed to no longer do cleaning work.  Her earnings served to help with the family expenses.

She got married when she was 18 years old, and she has eight children.  She and her husband supported each other in order to generate their family income.  He is a farmer, and she weaves shawls and blouses.

She found out about the loans for women that the Asociación Chajulense de Mujeres Unidas por la Vida offer from a friend who told her about the Asociación.  This year she will receive her sixth loan.  She used the first loans to buy thread to make blouses.  She invested the third one in the purchase of fertilizer for planting the cornfields that her husband has.  The fourth and fifth loans were used to buy threads to expand her business of weaving blouses.

Rosa is the leader of the Las Pacayas 3 Group.  The group is comprised of three women, all of them of the Maya Ixil ethnicity.  The group will invest 100% of their loans in textiles.

On average each member of the group has four children.  The average age of the members of the group is 40.  One member is  illiterate, one member went to school through the tenth grade, and one member graduated from the 12th grade as an elementary school teacher.

In this group: Rosa Magalí, Rosa, Teresa Bibiana

Translated from Spanish by Kiva volunteerGinny Kalish. View original language description.