Gabriela

Gabriela is married to a baker. She finished primary school and has five children between the ages of eighteen and thirty-three. She has had her own small business selling second-hand Mayan clothing for forty years. She and her spouse have worked together for twenty-five years in the bakery. They have a retail space in the house where they sell, in addition to a rented space in the local market.

Gabriela employs one person who, in addition to the support of her children, is fundamental to this business. With the income received, she has been able to provide a primary and secondary school education to all her children. Two of Gabriela's children are married and she is the grandmother of three.

She asks for her first individual Kiva loan to purchase ingredients for baking and firewood wholesale. As a goal, Gabriela wants to continue increasing the businesses, extending to new sales points for the  bakery and to have a place in her house with good conditions to make their delicious bread. 

Gabriela, who lives in a rural zone in the department/state of Sacatepéquez, speaks Maya Kaqchikel and Spanish. She is a member of the Puente al Éxito program, which offers individual entrepreneurial training to Guatemalan women who have limited resources. She shares her profound gratitude for what she will be learning. She expresses that she would like to get training about how to manage a business and ideas for growing and expanding it. 

Thank you, Kiva lenders! You are helping these women be successful in their businesses!

Translated from Spanish by Kiva volunteerWendy H. View original language description.