Mangales Santa Fe Group

Paulina is 31 years old and married to a day laborer. The couple has a seven-year-old son who is finishing kindergarten. She only has four years of formal education because her parents separated when she was eleven years old. Since her mother had five children, she was unable to provide her children additional education. She started working and did housework in her home for seven years.

For seven years, she has raised chickens that she sells live and also harvests lemons from her tree. She requests her first Kiva loan to buy more chickens to raise and sell. Her goals are to keep working hard, save money, and buy more land to leave for her son.

Paulina realized that she needed loan support and education to be successful as a mother, wife, and entrepreneur. She became a member of the Friendship Bridge Trust Bank “Mangales Santa Fe” and joined eight other women each month who also live in the department/state of Retalhuleu. These women sell tortillas, oranges, lemons, other fruits, and also raise chickens. They are on their first loan cycle with Kiva. Their monthly educational training, part of the “Microcredit Plus” program, will cover topics related to health, hygiene, nutrition, women’s issues, and family matters. The training is interactive, and a Facilitator will use pictures, games, diagrams, and role-playing to share the information with the women.

Thank you, Kiva lenders, for your kindness and your generosity!

In this group: Maria Guadalupe , Herlinda , Julia Ondina, Kendy Ivonne, Amarilis Hayde, Unili Yureysi, Beda Vicenta, Olga Margarita, Paulina Rubidia