Las Estrellas Group

When talent and dedication come together, inspirational stories are born. Maria is forty years old. She is married and has three children aged between eleven to eighteen who are in primary sixth and in secondary school (agricultural science and professional accountancy). She is a teacher in a kindergarten and has been doing this for four years. Her husband does seasonal agricultural work in Canada. For the past eighteen years, Maria has been machine sewing traditional blouses “huipiles” and aprons “delantales” which she sells to order, making four aprons and two blouses per week wth help from her eldest daughter. Also, for the past seven years she has been running a business selling nutritional supplements in her own store, where she has one employee. Maria is requesting a second loan from Kiva in order to buy more supplements and thread wholesale. Her aim is to have her own store in which to display the clothing she makes.

The seven Kaqchikel women who make up The Friendship Bridge's communal bank called “Las Estrellas” come from the department/state of Sololá. They benefit from the monthly trainings from the "Micro-loan Plus" program. The information on how to avoid too much debt and on good investment and savings practices helps the women to run their businesses making tortillas, keeping farm animals, selling nutritional supplements and selling firewood. 

Thank you, Kiva lenders! The women from this communal bank are grateful for your support. 

In this group: Ana , Maria Florestina, Jesus , Carmen, Julia Alicia , Francisca, Vilma

Translated from Spanish by Kiva volunteerElizabeth Daw. View original language description.