Xejuyu Vasconcelos Group

Thirty-five-year-old Maria could only stay in school for six years and then went to work in Guatemala City as a domestic worker. She married when she was eighteen. Her husband is a farmer and bricklayer. They are the parents of four daughters who range in age from five to fourteen. The family farms carrots, string beans, and potatoes. Maria shared that her goals are to have a good harvest, generate more income, and be better positioned to educate and care for her children. She requests her fifth Kiva loan to buy potato seeds, compost, and fertilizer.

Once each month, Maria meets with six other Maya Kaqchikel women who formed the Friendship Bridge Trust Bank “Xejuyu Vasconcelos” in the department/state of Solola. They live in a rural area where it is challenging to access healthcare. Since they have little or no formal education, the monthly education trainings, part of the “Microcredit Plus” program, enable them to learn how to manage their businesses best (convenience stores, animal husbandry, traditional textiles, farms), care for their families (nutrition, health, hygiene) and empower themselves (self-esteem, women’s rights/roles). Every two months, a visiting nurse arrives in their community and offers healthcare services, including exams, consults, and family planning.

Thank you, Kiva lenders, for your generosity and your kindness in funding these loans!

In this group: Maria Esperanza , Petrona , Martita , Jesus , Maria , Marta Julia , Ingrid Yolanda