Argelia Group

Sixty-two-year-old Maria, a mother of three grown children ranging in age from thirty to forty-five, is married to a farmer. They have four grandchildren. Maria only has a fifth-grade education because she lived far from a school while growing up. Her parents worked on farms. Fifteen years ago, she opened her business selling corn and firewood. Corn is a staple in the Guatemalan diet and has been grown for centuries. Maria also raises chickens, a business she started twelve years ago. She sells from her home in the department/state of Retalhuleu. Her goal is to move her business into its own space. She requests her third Kiva loan to buy more corn and firewood that are in high demand.

Seven ladies elected Maria to be President of their Friendship Bridge Trust Bank “Argelia”. These women have convenience stores and sell regional foods and appetizers. Their monthly meetings include educational training, part of the “Microcredit Plus” program. A recent topic for the training was about the risks of over-indebtedness. Other topics are drawn from four areas: health, family matters, women's issues, and business. A Facilitator designs the training and uses pictures, diagrams, role-playing, and games to share the information.

Maria and her friends in the group strive to create better lives for themselves and their families. Kiva lenders are a huge help to them. Thank you!

In this group: Sindy Paola , Paula Amparo , Nivian Audelia , Darling Migdalia , Paulina , Maria Amada , Jaquelin Viviana , Ceily Maricela