Kiva Loans

Vivianita Pagasian : Philippines

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 05:00:13 PST

$50 of $125 raised.

Started raising funds on Nov 21, 2009

Vivianita Pagasian is from the village of Misom, Baliangao, Misamis Occidental. She is 53 years old, is married, and has two school-aged children. Vivianita owns and operates a business making and selling "saging ginanghang" snacks (banana cue: plantain, fried in boiling oil and held on a skewer) in the local community. She has been engaged in her business for over five years and earns approximately 1,500 PHP a month. In 2009, Vivianita joined GDMPC to gain access to financial services to help improve her living situation and her ability to engage in business activities. She is requesting a loan of 5,000 PHP which will be used to purchase more bananas for making snacks. This loan will be her first from GDMPC. She plans to use the additional revenue generated from the business to supplement her family's income. About GDMPC: GDMPC is one of the most progressive cooperatives in Mindanao, Philippines. It has four branches and three unit offices covering the provinces of Zamboanga del Sur, Lanao del Norte and Misamis Occidental. Its membership is composed mostly of farmers, fisherfolk and small entrepreneurs.

*Note: To maximize efficiency and reduce costs, this loan was posted using a template to automate the translation by Kiva. Given that manual translation of entrepreneur profiles is costly, Kiva created this template for our Field Partner to allow them to continue to post loans in English while providing quality and accurate information to Kiva lenders.

Florence Adjatan : Benin

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 05:00:12 PST

$0 of $425 raised.

Started raising funds on Nov 21, 2009

Florence Adjatan was born on 16 March, 1967, in Cotonou, the economic capital of Benin. Florence is married to Elie Mebounou, a shopkeeper. The couple have four children, all in school. Florence has lived together with her children and her husband in Cococodji, not far from Cotonou, for four years. The couple meet the household expenses together. For four years, Florence has sold bunches of bananas as well as maize at her home and also at the Cococodji market. Florence gets her supplies in northern Benin. Florence has never obtained any loans through ALIDÉ (one of Kiva's field partners). It is to increase the volume of her business and to better satisfy her clientele that Florence is seeking her first loan through ALIDÉ.

Translated from French by Vilas Menon, Kiva Volunteer

Irina Masleyeva : Ukraine

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:00:10 PST

$675 of $1,725 raised.

Started raising funds on Nov 20, 2009

Irina is divorced. She has a grown son. Irina has been in the clothing sales business for 10 years. She sells children’s jean clothing in one of the biggest marketplaces in Zaporozhye. Since Irina launched her trade, she has managed to expand her small venture and purchased a vending kiosk and a vending tent in the same market. Both clients and fellow entrepreneurs recognize the wise pricing policy Irina has established. She has about 30,000 grivnyas in working capital. Her monthly net profit amounts to 2,500 grivnyas.

Irina is seeking a loan of 13,800 grivnyas to increase her working capital. She is planning to purchase seasonal clothing in bulk to widen her assortment of inventory for the cold season. Irina understands the value of having readily available resources to help her business grow and succeed and is very grateful for the given opportunity.

Yelena Ivanova : Ukraine

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:50:12 PST

$575 of $1,250 raised.

Started raising funds on Nov 20, 2009

Yelena is divorced. She has a grown son, Alexander. Yelena is an entrepreneur from Melitopol, where she sells women’s outer clothing in the central city market. She launched this small business 16 years ago. Presently, Yelena has about 21,000 grivnyas in inventory. Her monthly profit amounts to 5,000 grinyas a month.

Yelena is seeking a 10,000 grivnya loan to restock her merchandise and generate additional income. She realizes that access to loans is important for her business. She believes a good array of clothing items will help her better serve the needs of her clients and increase her sales. Additional income will allow her to invest more in her family’s well-being and provide a better living for her son and herself, which is her first priority in life.

Melik Hayrapetyan : Armenia

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:20:15 PST

$1,000 of $2,850 raised.

Started raising funds on Nov 20, 2009

Melik Hayrapetyan is 60 and lives in Kaghnut village in the Kapan area. He is married and has three sons. His wife works at a chemist's shop (pharmacy) as a pharmaceutist. All of Melik’s sons are employees and one of them lives in a separate house with his family. Melik works as a brigade-leader in an organization where he repairs factory equipment. At the same time, he has land where he grows grain. During sowing and harvest time, working hours last about twelve hours a day. Also, because he hasn’t got his own agricultural equipment, he has to wait till the other farmers’ equipment is free in order to rent it. So, Melik needs a 1,100,000 AMD loan to buy a plough and separator to cut down his expenses and to use his time more rationally.

Mrs. Yum Un Village Bank Group : Cambodia

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:00:38 PDT

$1,525 of $2,300 raised.

Started raising funds on Nov 1, 2009

The village bank loan group consists of seventeen people and they all live in Peak Bang’aong village in Takeo province. Mrs.Yum Un is the village bank president who has been selected by the members. She is a pig breeder. Her husband, Mr. Siem Ny, is a farmer who owns 1-hectar field of land to cultivate rice. Although this couple works hard, they still earn only a small income to support the household. Thus, Mrs. Yum Un decided to ask for a loan to buy some chickens for breeding to earn more household income. She is 45 years old and the mother of three children, one of whom is employed in a garment factory while the others are attending the local school. All the members in this group loan are end-of-term loans so they are not required to pay any principal on the loan until the very end of the loans term. End-of-term (EoT) loans are AMK’s main product because it is the most beneficial to Cambodia’s poor. It allows them to repay portions of the principal whenever they are financially able to. Most clients start to make their payments many months before the end of the loan term. Almost all of AMK’s client make their payments on time. AMK has a delinquency rate of only 0.09% and AMK has a default rate of 0% on Kiva.

Ekrema : Palestine

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 03:10:14 PST

$200 of $2,500 raised.

Started raising funds on Nov 21, 2009

Ekrema is a 24-year-old, single young man living with his parents in Ramallah city of Palestine. He has a small computer repair shop. Ekrema is requesting a loan of $2,500 to buy computer parts in order to develop his work and, therefore, his income. He thanks you.

Seeta Development Of Mukono Group : Uganda

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:40:15 PST

$3,400 of $4,025 raised.

Started raising funds on Nov 18, 2009

Sarah Nassaka is the leader of her lending group in Mukono. She is 43 years old and married with five children, the youngest being 12 years old.

Sarah has a stall in Seeta Trading Centre where she has sold fresh produce and chickens for seven years.

She is so hard working and she has been able to repay back her loan with a lot of ease yet it has worked for her. She is happy that she has been able to transform her business by having more stock - hence more profits.

Sarah needs a loan to help buy more fresh food and chicken for resale.

Sarah is a determined and hardworking lady that has been able to cater for her family with the help of her husband.

Amina Saidi : Tanzania

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:30:11 PST

$200 of $250 raised.

Started raising funds on Nov 20, 2009

Mambo (greetings) from Tanzania! This is 34-year-old Amina C. Saidi from the Coastal region. She is married with three children between the ages of 1 and 5. Amina has been running a fruit business since 2002. She buys the food from farmers and fruit wholesalers and sells it on a retail basis nearby her home. She sells pawpaw, mangoes, bananas, etc. But the bad thing about people in villages is they just eat fruits for fun or as a tradition but they don’t know much about importance of fruits for their health. She works at the business for nine to 12 hours per day, seven days per week and is assisted by her husband. She is requesting a loan of 300,000 Tanzanian shillings in order to purchase additional stock of fruits for her business. In the future, she plans to increase the quantity and range of the stock. Amina thanks you for your support! SELFINA has taken a lead role as a pioneer of micro-credit in Tanzania through micro-leasing. The organization is engaged in the economic empowerment of women in Tanzania through the provision of a leasing and leaseback micro-finance facility. Customs and traditions in Tanzania make it difficult for women to own land and assets, thus they are termed non-creditworthy by financial institutions. This leads to poor financial support and poor access to basic needs and services for women with low incomes. One of the primary advantages of micro-leasing is that it allows clients to use the equipment as collateral for future loans with SELFINA, thus enabling them to borrow larger sums in the future.

Atitso Edzo : Togo

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:10:16 PST

$1,075 of $1,150 raised.

Started raising funds on Nov 18, 2009

Mr. Atitso EDZO was born in 1982 in Kplaba-Zio, Southern Togo. He's married and the father of seven children. He's a farmer who chiefly grows corn. He supports his family thanks to the income drawn from this farming business. His arable land is now impoverished and needs fertilizers. Unfortunately, he does not have sufficient financial means for this. This is why he's seeking a loan in order to buy fertilizers and other products. This will enable him to increase his yields and the revenues of his business.

Translated from French by Patrick Stadelmann, Kiva Volunteer

Lorna Dubria : Philippines

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 04:20:13 PST

$125 of $325 raised.

Started raising funds on Nov 21, 2009

Lorna Dubria is so disappointed about her two elder children’s (22 and 18 years old) achievements in life. They were not able reach college and now they are having the kind of life they were born to have. Being a mother, she wouldn’t want her children to remain poor for the rest of their lives. However, she can’t blame her children because, as parents, she and her husband should have supported the financial needs of their children, especially in school. But because both of them have a very small income, it is impossible to support their children. Despite what happened and the guilt felt, Lorna has been able to gather strength to move on and learn from her past experience. She told herself that it is not yet too late to help her children change their lives. Now, she is requesting a much larger loan amount through ASHI and Kiva to sustain her tricycle (motorcycle with sidecar) for hire business managed by her husband and eldest 22 year-old son, and also to grow her hog (pig) fattening business. The proceeds she will earn will enable her two youngest children to continue their studies until college. One is now 13 years old and the other one is 2 two years old.

Virgen De Cotoca Group : Bolivia

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:10:16 PST

$2,125 of $2,575 raised.

Started raising funds on Nov 19, 2009

The “Virgen de Cotoca” Group, represented by Ms. Carolina, is comprised of 12 very dynamic members who wish to participate in activities together to fraternize and become more unified as a group. As they are neighbors, the women have had a friendship for a very long time. They all partake in various commercial and service activities, such as beauty salons, general stores, food sales, and cosmetics. One member has a general store, and when there are concerts in the area, he sells beverages at the venue. Ms. Carolina has her own beverage business, but would like to diversify her products. The majority of group members have stands in front of their homes, and the rest are street vendors. Despite all the adversities that they face, they know how to get ahead because their families depend on it. Concerning competition, we can say that it is high, but when it gets too tough, the group members simply move their stands away from the central market, thus boosting their sales. This loan will be used to restock their shops, purchase work materials and supplies in bulk, and the members who sell cosmetics will take advantage of the ongoing sales. Their greatest hope is to expand their stands to generate greater revenues so that they can offer their children a better future and quality of life. Despite the fact that this is their first loan cycle, the group members already have previous experience working in solidarity groups thanks to financial institutes similar to Fundación Agocapital, to which they are very grateful for their trust and monetary support.

Translated from Spanish by Elizabeth Casian, Kiva Volunteer

Suraiyo Nazirova : Tajikistan

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:40:16 PST

$750 of $1,200 raised.

Started raising funds on Nov 19, 2009

Nazirova Suraiyo is a 36-year-old mother whose husband has no fixed income. So, to cover day-to-day necessities, she processes and sells dried apricots with the help of her elder son. She uses all the money she makes to care for her three children and provide for their education. Suraiyo has 15 years of experience processing and selling dried apricots. She is very polite and considerate, and her clients are always very happy with the service they receive from her. Because her business is doing so well, she is increasing her net worth month by month. Today Suraiyo requests $1200 USD to purchase more dried apricots to process and increase her range of goods. Suraiyo and her son express their gratitude for everyone supporting them and they promise to repay their loan in a timely manner. More about Tajikistan and IMON International Tajikistan is known for its rich history, which includes a key post along the Silk Road and the end of Alexander the Great's rule. It has also produced great thinkers, philosophers, scientists and poets, including Rudaki, Avicenna, Ferdowsi, Omar Khayyam, Jomi, and Rumi. The country is home to communities that still speak the ancient Sogdian language, epic mountain passes, and a civilization that dates back to the 4th millennium BC. And, even today, it is a complex mixture of the Islamic faith, Soviet culture, New West culture and Central Asian traditions. But Tajikistan is also the poorest of the former Soviet republics. The civil war, which ignited soon after its independence from the U.S.S.R., further damaged the already weak economy. In addition, 93% of the country is mountainous and only 7% of the land is arable. These conditions have resulted in high levels of unemployment and have forced hundreds of thousands to seek work in other countries, mainly Russia. While the people of Tajikistan are working to improve its agricultural production and manufacturing sector, nearly two-thirds of the population still live in abject poverty. IMON's History Since December 2007, IMON International has worked closely with Kiva and Kiva lenders to ensure that poor and low income clients represent a viable business proposition. Funds raised through Kiva have already been distributed to thousands of IMON International's clients and will continue to provide thousands more with permanent access to the varied financial services they need. To learn more about IMON International's work, please visit: http://www.imon.tj

Candida Rosa Rodríguez Guadamuz : Nicaragua

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:00:13 PST

$150 of $725 raised.

Started raising funds on Nov 20, 2009

The rosquillas somoteñas (a ring-shaped cookie) are Nicaragua's best and they are available not only in Somoto as but in the other departments of the country as well. Candida Rodríguez daily sells rosquillas somoteñas in a stall she has in the Mayoreo market to many customers who visit her to buy rosquillas. She is requesting funding to buy the rosquillas so that she can continue to offer them for sale thus earning profits with which to support her family of three children since she is a widow and solely responsible for their support.

Translated from Spanish by Michael Bujazan, Kiva Volunteer

Rosanna Sevilla : Philippines

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:50:10 PST

$300 of $500 raised.

Started raising funds on Nov 20, 2009

Rosanna Sevilla is a 34-year-old married woman from the town of Binalbagan, Negros Occidental. She believes that if you love your family, you must do everything for their sake. This is the reason why she works so hard - to help her husband provide for the needs of their six children between ages 1 and 11. The three oldest already attend school. Her aspirations are to provide a comfortable life for her family and send her children to school to prepare them for a better future. To help her husband make their dream a reality, she started a general store. Even with a small income, she knew she was helping her husband, so she continued her efforts and tried to offer more goods to her customers. To further increase her income potential, she started with a door-to-door vending business selling different kinds of root crops, vegetables, and fruits because these were abundant in her locality. When demand for her goods increased, she realized that she needed additional capital just to be able to maintain enough inventory, so she joined NWTF-Project Dungganon in 2002. With the help of successive loans which she was able to pay off quickly, her business improved even further, and she was able to earn a net monthly income of PHP 18,000 on average. She has started to set aside some of her income for the future of her children. For her 13th cycle loan she borrowed PHP 22,000 which was utilized as additional capital for her general store and door-to-door vending. Her loan was paid on a weekly basis and it was fully paid without any delay. Now she is borrowing for her 14th cycle, the amount of PHP 23,000, as additional capital for her business once again. The income she earns from it will be used to make improvements to her general store structure and as additional capital for her door-to-door vending. About NWTF: In a world full of challenges, Negros Women for Tomorrow Foundation (NWTF), is making a difference in the lives of thousands of women through Project Dungganon (a Hiligaynon word that means Honorable). Through the alleviation program, NWTF is empowering these women to progress out of earning less than $1 a day to achieving realities that surpass even their dreams. They have taken a life path that will ultimately make them Dungganon - a title of esteem that is bestowed to a member of a community who has earned the respect through a lifetime of hard and honest work.

Betty Aiguobarueghian : Nigeria

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 03:00:13 PST

$175 of $475 raised.

Started raising funds on Nov 21, 2009

Betty sells used clothes at retail prices to her customers. She hopes to own a boutique in the future. The demands for her used clothes are high this season because there are lots of people in her community that cannot afford new clothes. She is 55 years old and married with six children. Her husband is a businessman. Her children are doing well in school and she hopes to give them a quality education. She hopes for a loan of N70,000 to purchase more used clothes to sell. She is indeed grateful to all Kiva lenders.

Matiya Bishanga's Group : Uganda

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:20:12 PST

$725 of $3,200 raised.

Started raising funds on Nov 19, 2009

Bishanga Matiya is the leader of his group in Ibanda. He is 36 years old and married with six children who are all in school. He has a retail shop in Omububaare trading centre that has been in operation for fifteen years. At the moment, Matiya is able to make approximately $43 in profits a week, and this enables him to take care of his family. He is a friendly man and determined, and this has enabled him to win more customers. In the future, he would like to turn his shop into a wholesale business, and also to have a happy and educated family. Matiya is seeking a loan to enable him to add more stock in his shop so that he can boost his business further.

Virgen Asunta De Racsa Group : Peru

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:20:13 PST

$625 of $3,275 raised.

Started raising funds on Nov 19, 2009

Our members belong to the “VIRGEN ASUNTA DE RACSA” communal bank. The bank is made up of 11 members and it is new. The members are residents of Cusco province. Most of them have independent stalls in the "Virgen Asunta" market but with similar lines of work. The "Virgen Asunta" market is three years old. The group meetings are held in Angelica's stand. Our members alternate their various domestic chores with sales of potatoes, sacks, and grains. Marianela, for example, sells grains like corn, kidney beans, barley, wheat, etc. Antonia sells potato sacks. Most of the members sell wholesale potatoes; they distribute their potatoes to the other municipal markets. The members are asking for financing to use as working capital so that they can increase their products and sales thereby providing their families with improved quality of life. The members value and appreciate the loan granted and pledge to repay in a timely fashion. (The member José did not attend the meeting due to work obligations so does not appear in the photo. He did, however, ask the governing board of the communal bank for permission to be absent).

Translated from Spanish by Michael Bujazan, Kiva Volunteer

Kyakuwa Group Of Kayunga : Uganda

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:30:20 PST

$700 of $4,150 raised.

Started raising funds on Nov 19, 2009

Mubiru Grace is married with four children aged 5, 14, 16 and 18 years old. She also takes care of three dependents, all of whom are in secondary or primary school. Grace is a friendly lady who has run a retail shop in Kangulumira trading centre for 13 years. She sells general merchandise and says that, so far, she has faced no major challenges in her business. Being friendly has attracted more people to her business hence she has made more sales. She is able to make 70,000 UGX profit a week.

In the future, Grace would like to sell her merchandise wholesale in order to make more profit, educate her children, and be healthy. Grace is requesting a loan to add more stock to her shop and boost her business.

Maritza Guadalupe Suarez : Nicaragua

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:10:16 PST

$250 of $725 raised.

Started raising funds on Nov 20, 2009

Maritza Guadalupe, 44, is single and the mother of three children: the eldest, 21, who works and helps out with household expenses, one who is 16 and in the 11th grade, and the youngest, who is six, and in the first grade. For the last 14 years she has been an employee of the Ministry of Education as an elementary school teacher at the Puertas Rojas School in Acoyapa. She must get up very early every day to ride her bicycle to work at the little school where she teaches the children of the area. She is asking for her 8th loan to improve her house by building a front wall to replace the damaged one there now as well as to buy the door and windows. She hopes, thereby, to provide better security to her home. She says that the loans that AFODENIC has provided have allowed her to have a better house and now she hopes to be a beneficiary of Kiva Fund. Her greatest wish is that her children study and have a university career that will allow them to have a better quality of life and to continue improving her house, which is the asset she means to leave her children.

Translated from Spanish by Michael Bujazan, Kiva Volunteer

Bolivia Group : Bolivia

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:40:13 PST

$875 of $1,900 raised.

Started raising funds on Nov 13, 2009

The communal Bolivian bank is made up of 10 clients who are from the Central Pampahasi zone, that are part of the Emprender Institution. The members work in the sale of food, provisions, bread, beer, groceries, shawls, fish, and clothing. During her tenure in Emprender, which has lasted for 9 cycles, there was a 40% restructuring of the bank’s membership. Maria Corina has been the head and president of the bank, and one of its founders. She works making shawls. During the time she has been in the communal bank she has learned how to be a responsible leader with the others. She is strict with their payments when the time comes, friendly, cheerful and respectful of them. With the loan she has been able to increase the capital in her shop to improve the family income. Yolanda is the bank’s treasurer and one of the bank’s founders. She sells fish at markets. She didn’t have any capital at the beginning but she is now asking for a loan so that she can buy more merchandise and thus increase her capital and her economic stability. Nadia Erika is a new member who has joined the bank. She is a dynamic and friendly person, and is the bank’s secretary. Currently this lady has a neighborhood store. She will invest the money to increase the store’s capital as well as to buy the supplies to make the shawls.

Translated from Spanish by Miriam Palacio, Kiva Volunteer

Mrs. Sokhom Chhun Village Bank Group : Cambodia

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:00:39 PDT

$1,325 of $2,525 raised.

Started raising funds on Nov 1, 2009

Nineteen people who live in Trea village in Kandal province are made up the village bank and they will use the loan which they obtained in different purposes. Mrs. Sokhom Chhun is a village bank president who has been selected by the members. She is a farmer who owns 0.8-hectar to cultivate rice to earn for a living. In this farming, she now has a problem because her field is infertile soil so it is affected o the crop. To deal with this problem, Mrs. Sokhom Chhun decided to ask for a loan to buy more fertilizers to support the field to make her crop more productive. Her husband, Mr. Thaong Samon, is a teacher who can make a small income to support the family. Mrs. Sokhom Chhun is 48 years old and the mother of three children two of whom are employed in a garment factory while the other is attending the local school. All the members are presented in the picture but some of them are block.

Febronia Mtalikwa : Tanzania

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 04:40:12 PST

$25 of $250 raised.

Started raising funds on Nov 21, 2009

Mambo from Tanzania! This is 26 year old Febronia A. Mtalikwa from Costal Region. She is married with two children aged of 3 and 8. Febronia has been running a genge business since 2002. A genge (grocery store) is usually a very basic structure made of wood with a tin roof which sells general items such as onions, tomatoes, chilli, oil, rice, and dried fish. It is the kind of place local people send their children running to fetch something when they are in the middle of cooking the evening meal and don’t have time to go all the way to the market to buy the missing ingredient. She works at the business for 9-12 hours per day, 7 days per week and is assisted by her husband. She is requesting a loan of 300,000 Tsh in order to purchase additional ingredients for her genge business. In the future, she plans to increase the quantity and range of the stock. Febronia thanks you for your support! About SELFINA: SELFINA has taken a lead role as a pioneer of micro-credit in Tanzania through Micro-Leasing. The organization is engaged in the economic empowerment of women in Tanzania through the provision of a leasing and leaseback microfinance facility. Customs and traditions in Tanzania make it difficult for women to own land and assets, thus they are termed non-creditworthy by financial institutions. This leads to poor financial support and poor access to basic needs and services for women with low incomes. One of the primary advantages of micro-leasing is that is allows clients to use the equipment as collateral for future loans with SELFINA, thus enabling them to borrow larger sums in the future.

Iyad : Palestine

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:50:14 PST

$775 of $2,000 raised.

Started raising funds on Nov 20, 2009

Iyad, age 33, is a responsible father of six children who has always watched over his family’s financial security. He accomplishes this by raising and selling sheep. He purchases sheep, feeds and cares for them, and then resells them at higher prices. He applied for a loan of $2000 to purchase more sheep. You could become an important part of his family's life. He deeply appreciates the trust and support you are giving him.

Ana Alicia Murillo Sevilla : Nicaragua

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:10:15 PST

$750 of $825 raised.

Started raising funds on Nov 20, 2009

Ana Alicia, 41, is single and the mother of two children. Her eldest is 18 and is a second-year university student and the younger, a 17-year-old, is a special needs child because when he was a baby he got meningitis and this left him with developmental problems; in addition he is asthmatic. She has worked for the last 11 years as an adminstrator at ASOCIECAD, an organization that provides services to persons with special needs (both children and adults) whose offices are in the Juigalpa Special School. She is requesting her 5th loan to build a porch onto her house, which was built through a project sponsored by CARITAS, because she is still renting because she needs to upgrade her house to accommodate her son's special needs so that he will be in a comfortable environment. She states that thanks to AFODENIC she has been able to buy home appliances and has been buying metal gates to secure her house. She is hoping now to be a beneficiary of a Kiva Fund grant to improve her house. She dreams with having a spacious house so her family can live in comfort and, God willing, be able to request another loan to help her reach this goal.

Translated from Spanish by Michael Bujazan, Kiva Volunteer

Michael Onyango : Kenya

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 03:20:15 PST

$75 of $625 raised.

Started raising funds on Nov 21, 2009

Michael Onyango is 51 years old and he is married to Pamela who is a housewife. They are blessed with four children. The family lives in Magongo, Mombasa and Michael is a businessman there. He has been in the business of selling second-hand clothes and shoes for nine years now. Michael was introduced to KADET by a friend and is glad to access his first loan. He intends to increase the stock of clothes and shoes with the money. Especially during the month of December, business booms with everyone wanting to buy new attire for the Christmas festive season. He actually asked for this loan to be able to target this demand for new stuff in his business and maximize on the profits. He hopes to become a manufacturer and supplier of textiles in the future. About KADET: The Kenya Agency for the Development of Enterprise and Technology (KADET) is dedicated to economically empower her clients by providing financial services to improve living conditions of micro-entrepreneurs and their children across Kenya. KADET is the microfinance subsidiary of World Vision Kenya. Obtain more information on KADET from the website: www.kadet.co.ke

Benedicto Mukasa's Group : Uganda

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:50:13 PST

$1,950 of $2,450 raised.

Started raising funds on Nov 18, 2009

Benedicto Mukasa is a 62-year-old, hardworking man. He is married with 11 children, three of whom are still in school as he also takes care of three grandchildren and one orphan. Benedicto has had multiple businesses -- poultry, bricklaying and the sale of produce -- in Kitega for 29 years. His major business challenges are the changes in prices depending on the season. He is able to make about 200,000 Ugandan shillings in profits a week and that helps him in taking care of his family and saving for future developments. His dream is to spread his business to other areas apart from his village as well as to build rental houses for monthly earnings. Benedicto needs a loan to help buy more feed for his chicken as well as more produce for resale, since loans have boosted his businesses.

El Cedrillo Group : Bolivia

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:10:14 PST

$1,525 of $2,075 raised.

Started raising funds on Nov 19, 2009

The group "El Cedrillo" is represented by the Señor Narciso, and is made up of 12 members who have a variety of businesses, including the sale of cosmetics through a catalog, motor taxi service, clothing sales, food sales, construction, sales of snacks or food (street vendors), and drink sales. In some of these areas there is a lot of competition, but they know how to advance their businesses, since the sustenance of their families depends on it. This loan will be used to acquire tools of the trade that will help them to generate better incomes, such as the acquisition of merchandise and supplies to enlarge their businesses, since their families depend on the incomes that they generate. The group is pursuing its second loan cycle; the members of the group know their businesses very well and know how to administer the funds so as to generate increased incomes with the support of the Agrocapital Foundation.

Translated from Spanish by Lisa Grobar, Kiva Volunteer

Maï Astou Sene : Senegal

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:30:20 PST

$475 of $1,150 raised.

Started raising funds on Nov 20, 2009

Maï Astou SENE is a 52-year-old woman who is married and the mother of seven children. She has been a member of Banc Villageois de MBOUSNAKH for 7½ years and has a good loan record. She does commerce in millet and peanuts. She takes part in improving her family's living conditions.

Translated from French by Dan Kuey, Kiva Volunteer

Ruyonza Ii Tukore Group, Ibanda : Uganda

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:00:13 PST

$175 of $4,475 raised.

Started raising funds on Nov 20, 2009

Irene Busingye is the leader of her lending group in Ibanda. She is 39 years old and married with children who attend school. Irene is a hardworking lady in the business of selling produce at the Ruyonza trading centre. Irene sells produce from both her own farm and from various farmers in her locality, depending on the quality. Since she started taking out loans, she has been able to earn 300,000 in monthly profits thanks to the loyalty of her customers. Her goal is to expand her business and to have a happy and healthy family. She needs a loan to help add more stock to her business to avoid shortages.

Valam Yodgorov : Tajikistan

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 02:50:13 PST

$50 of $1,500 raised.

Started raising funds on Nov 21, 2009

Valam is an entrepreneurial man and lives with his wife and three children who all help him in the business of production and sale of national bread “lepeshka”. He began his business to help with household expenses and at the same time to cover the costs of study of his children and their basic upkeep. He began his business five years ago by selling in both his house and on the market, counting already an almost fixed clientele. Valam is asking for a loan of $1500 to buy flour, coal and other products to increase the production of lepeshka in order to give better attention to his clients. Valam and his family thank you very much for the help which you give him in being able to follow through in creating his business and being able to continue with it in the future. More about Tajikistan and IMON International Tajikistan is known for its rich history, which includes a key post along the Silk Road and the end of Alexander the Great's rule. It has also produced great thinkers, philosophers, scientists and poets, including Rudaki, Avicenna, Ferdowsi, Omar Khayyam, Jomi, and Rumi. The country is home to communities that still speak the ancient Sogdian language, epic mountain passes, and a civilization that dates back to the 4th millennium BC. And, even today, it is a complex mixture of the Islamic faith, Soviet culture, New West culture and Central Asian traditions. But Tajikistan is also the poorest of the former Soviet republics. The civil war, which ignited soon after its independence from the U.S.S.R., further damaged the already weak economy. In addition, 93% of the country is mountainous and only 7% of the land is arable. These conditions have resulted in high levels of unemployment and have forced hundreds of thousands to seek work in other countries, mainly Russia. While the people of Tajikistan are working to improve its agricultural production and manufacturing sector, nearly two-thirds of the population still live in abject poverty. IMON's History Since December 2007, IMON International has worked closely with Kiva and Kiva lenders to ensure that poor and low income clients represent a viable business proposition. Funds raised through Kiva have already been distributed to thousands of IMON International's clients and will continue to provide thousands more with permanent access to the varied financial services they need. To learn more about IMON International's work, please visit: www.imon.tj

Arcoiris Group : Bolivia

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:10:14 PST

$1,150 of $3,500 raised.

Started raising funds on Nov 19, 2009

The “Arco Iris II” group is led by Durvin Gabriela and is made up of 17 members who engage in a variety of commercial activities like the sale of sand, cosmetics and perfumes, general stores, brake relining, food preparation, carpentry, clothing and footwear, grocery store, seamstress, and a motorcycle repair shop. There is a great deal of competition in the market but they are aware that if supply is great then they either have to diversify their product offerings or move their stands to other places like the neighborhood flea markets. The funds requested will be used to buy merchandise that will allow for diversification, to buy raw materials so that they can sell wholesale, and to buy work tools which will help them generate higher profits and better product quality. As far as their credit history goes, the members of this group have experience working with communal banks and know the operational methodologies so they are able to administer their funds well to get the greatest benefits from them thereby providing their families with a better quality of life.

Translated from Spanish by Michael Bujazan, Kiva Volunteer

Faroles Group : Bolivia

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:10:14 PST

$1,125 of $2,800 raised.

Started raising funds on Nov 19, 2009

The communal bank called BC FAROLES consists of 13 people of various ages that range from 20 to 50 years. The president of the bank is a person of strong character, cheerful and proactive who, with his sister, forms part of the bank. He has a son who is school-aged. Senora Missel, treasurer, is a go-getter and a determined person who has a minor child who is a year old. Sandra Elizabeth, secretary of the bank, is a person who is very determined and proactive, and the other members of the bank have similar personalities. The president, Alberto, makes sporting clothes. Senora Missel sells cellular phones in a market in the city. Sandra sells office supplies (scotch tape, etc.) wholesale, which she distributes in the different markets in the city. Other members sell food from their homes and another member repairs cell phones and computers. While there are other similar businesses in the area where they are developing their activities, the affluence of the consumers in the markets and the constant urban growth makes it such that the activities that they are developing are not affected. On the contrary, many of the members are hoping to grow their businesses and for this reason they are requesting this loan. The members are requesting this loan in order to acquire merchandise in greater quantity, others to buy new machines to increase their production, others to buy raw materials in quantity and thus increase their working capital. This group is in its first credit cycle, but the majority of them already know each other and have experience working with this type of credit.

Translated from Spanish by Lisa Grobar, Kiva Volunteer

Fabiano Sanyu's Group : Uganda

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:50:14 PST

$600 of $3,875 raised.

Started raising funds on Nov 19, 2009

Sanyu Fabiano, 45, is the leader of his loan group in Ibanda. He is a friendly and a hardworking man with a wholesale shop, which has been his business in Kazo trading centre for 18 years. Being in a very competitive environment, Fabiano has managed to keep and win more customers due to his good customer care skills. His dream is to have a more successful business, where he can make more profits compared to the 300,000/= that he makes every week. He is the father of four children and cares for four other dependents, and he would like to see each one of them attain the best education available to them. Fabiano is in need of a loan to help add more inventory to his shop to ensure a steady supply.

Farida Hujamurodova : Tajikistan

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:20:19 PST

$350 of $475 raised.

Started raising funds on Nov 20, 2009

Farida Hujamurodova lives in the Shahrituz region. She's twenty-one years old, married and has no children. For more than three years Farida, assisted by her husband, has sold spare bicycle parts on the market. She is requesting a loan in order to buy new household supplies and expand her business.

Translated from Russian by Alex Kostrubsky, Kiva Volunteer

Joy Ebowe : Nigeria

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:50:12 PST

$100 of $475 raised.

Started raising funds on Nov 20, 2009

Joy is 29 years old, single and has no children. She hopes to get married very soon. She lives in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria.

Joy sells colorful sarongs at retail prices to her customers. She sells for long hours to ensure that there is food on her table to feed her aged parents. This is the high season for sales and she hopes to make more profit. She hopes to own a boutique in the future. Joy hopes for a loan amount of 70,000 NGN to purchase more sarongs to sell. She is indeed grateful to all Kiva lenders.

Mirzorasul Mukhamedov : Tajikistan

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:40:17 PST

$75 of $1,500 raised.

Started raising funds on Nov 20, 2009

Mirzorasul is married and has three children. He sells flour, macaroni, tea, coffee and other groceries in the local market. His vending stand is well known for the prices he offers and the affordability compared to market prices. Mirzorasul knows his customers’ preferences and always offers them the best quality in groceries. He has been selling goods for 10 years with consistent profits. Mirzorasul has been dreaming of opening a small grocery store for a long time. Now he is requesting for a loan of $1500 in order to increase the range of his selling goods. He has planned and envisioned the plans for expansion for his trade and believes that it will be truly helpful for his entrepreneurial endeavors. This loan will help Mirzorasul persist and take the necessary steps to achieve the success he has been dreaming of. More about Tajikistan and IMON International: Tajikistan is known for its rich history, which includes a key post along the Silk Road and the end of Alexander the Great's rule. It has also produced great thinkers, philosophers, scientists and poets, including Rudaki, Avicenna, Ferdowsi, Omar Khayyam, Jomi, and Rumi. The country is home to communities that still speak the ancient Sogdian language, epic mountain passes, and a civilization that dates back to the 4th millennium BC. And, even today, it is a complex mixture of the Islamic faith, Soviet culture, New West culture and Central Asian traditions. But Tajikistan is also the poorest of the former Soviet republics. The civil war, which ignited soon after its independence from the U.S.S.R., further damaged the already weak economy. In addition, 93% of the country is mountainous and only 7% of the land is arable. These conditions have resulted in high levels of unemployment and have forced hundreds of thousands to seek work in other countries, mainly Russia. While the people of Tajikistan are working to improve its agricultural production and manufacturing sector, nearly two-thirds of the population still live in abject poverty. IMON's History: Since December 2007, IMON International has worked closely with Kiva and Kiva lenders to ensure that poor and low income clients represent a viable business proposition. Funds raised through Kiva have already been distributed to thousands of IMON International's clients and will continue to provide thousands more with permanent access to the varied financial services they need. To learn more about IMON International's work, please visit: www.imon.tj

Primavera Group : Bolivia

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:10:15 PST

$725 of $2,000 raised.

Started raising funds on Nov 19, 2009

The Primavera (“Spring”) Group is led by Sra. Norah and consists of 12 members who are engaged in various retail business selling food, skewered meats, groceries, cosmetics, fried pork rinds, vegetables, blankets, aprons, and handmade apparel. The level of competition is high within the business environment, but the members are experienced and willing to work hard because they want to succeed for the sake of their families' welfare. Their loans will be used to acquire merchandise to increase their inventory as well as purchase materials and supplies that will help them stay ahead of the competition.

The group is starting its first loan cycle, so they have little experience working as part of a solidarity group. However, they are eager to grow and desire to provide their families with a better quality of life.

Translated from Spanish by Ronan Reodica, Kiva Volunteer

Noly Dalguntas : Philippines

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:40:20 PST

$175 of $375 raised.

Started raising funds on Nov 20, 2009

Noly Dalguntas is a young and strong 60-year-old who loves running her business and is happy to be earning a daily income from her business operations. She lives in the village of Brgy. 111, Hinigaran, Negros Occidental. She is married to a motorcycle driver and they have three children who are between 21 and 30 years old. Noly has always dreamed of a more comfortable life for herself and her family. She had to do something to help her husband earn a living because his income from driving a motorcycle, shuttling passengers, was just not sufficient to sustain their family. So Noly started her own eatery, offering different kinds of food to her regular customers. In spite of the small income she earned from this business, she persisted because it helped their food needs. To improve her business and be able to earn a bigger income, she joined NWTF-Project Dungganon 2001. With the additional capital from her loans, she was soon able to expand her business to include a general store. She has been in business for over 25 years already, but it is only now with the help of NWTF-Project Dungganon that she is finally achieving some success in her business. She now earns an average monthly income of PHP 9,000 from her business operations, allowing her to set aside some savings for their future. In her previous loan, she borrowed Php 17,000 and used it as working capital for her eatery and to buy more stock for her general store. Even at her age, she maintains her good credit performance by paying her loan in full and on time without any delays. Now she is borrowing for her 16th cycle loan, the same amount of Php 17,000 to be used to buy motorcycle spare parts to repair her husband's source of his livelihood and also as additional capital for her general store and eatery. About NWTF: In a world full of challenges, Negros Women for Tomorrow Foundation (NWTF), is making a difference in the lives of thousands of women through Project Dungganon (a Hiligaynon word that means Honorable). Through the alleviation program, NWTF is empowering these women to progress out of earning less than $1 a day to achieving realities that surpass even their dreams. They have taken a life path that will ultimately make them Dungganon - a title of esteem that is bestowed to a member of a community who has earned the respect through a lifetime of hard and honest work.

Keep Project Of Central Group : Uganda

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:40:16 PST

$525 of $2,325 raised.

Started raising funds on Nov 19, 2009

Suzan Nampala 26, is the leader of her lending group in Bunamwaya. She is a very self-motivated and hard working lady. She has a cosmetics business that she has been running for two years. She is married with 2 children aged 6 years and 2 and a half years, and she also takes care of 3 dependants. From her business, Suzan is able to make a profit each week and she attributes this to the good customer care she delivers. Her dream is to develop her cosmetics shop further, as well as continue being a good citizen in her community. Suzan is seeking her second loan from her lending group and she hopes to use it to increase the stock in her business for more profits.

Mbéry Ngom : Senegal

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:30:15 PST

$225 of $700 raised.

Started raising funds on Nov 20, 2009

Mbéry NGOM is a 42-year-old married woman with 10 children to support. She has 7½ years of seniority with Banc Villageois de MBOUSNAKH and has received there 15 loans, which she repays each time without a problem. She fattens sheep and cattle, and she sells peanuts, salt, and millet. She supports her husband in covering various household expenses.

Translated from French by Dan Kuey, Kiva Volunteer

Teddy Kobusingye : Uganda

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:20:14 PST

$100 of $500 raised.

Started raising funds on Nov 20, 2009

Teddy has a bar in Nakulabye selling all types of beer. Her major business challenge is thieves. She doesn’t incur any transport costs as she buys her goods near her home. She works in a semi-urban area on the outskirts of Kampala. Teddy works seven days a week. She serves an average of 30 customers a day and sells to all kinds of people. She has been in this business for seven years and with MCDT for five years (now on her tenth loan).

Teddy is a 29-year-old married woman with two children, ages 3 months and 7 years. One of her children goes to school. She rents a two-room house where she lives with three people. Teddy doesn’t take care of any additional family members. The family has access to electricity but no piped water and gets three meals a day. She has monthly residence and business expenses.

Teddy joined MCDT because it is near her home and is easy to work with it. She wants to use her loan to buy more crates of beer. She hopes to see her business grow. She wants to start going directly to factories and also hopes to own a permanent business premises.

Lani Armecin : Philippines

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 06:40:13 PST

$200 of $300 raised.

Started raising funds on Nov 20, 2009

Lani Armecin is from the village of Zone 2, Tumpagon, Cagayan de Oro City. She is 42 years old, married and has seven school-aged children. To make a living, Lani owns and operates a sari-sari (variety) retail store. The main source of income for the business comes from selling a variety of products in the local community. Lani has been engaged in her business for over six years and earns approximately 2,000 PHP a month from these activities.

In 2007, Lani joined Kiva partner HSPFI to gain access to financial services to help improve her living situation and ability to engage in business activities. Lani has successfully repaid a previous loan of 11,000 PHP from HSPFI. She is requesting a new loan of 14,000 PHP, which will be used to purchase additional products to sell. This loan will be her fourth from HSPFI. She plans to use the additional revenue generated from the business to supplement her family's income.

About HSPFI
HSPFI is one of the accredited partners of Opportunity International in the Philippines. It is based in Cagayan de Oro City and is reaching out to the poor households of Northern Mindanao.

*Note: To maximize efficiency and reduce costs, this loan was posted using a template to automate the translation by Kiva. Given that manual translation of entrepreneur profiles is costly, we created this template for our field staff to allow them to continue to post loans in English while providing quality and accurate information to Kiva lenders.

Cipriano Justino Centeno : Nicaragua

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:50:45 PST

$575 of $975 raised.

Started raising funds on Nov 18, 2009

Cipriano Centeno sells automobile tires, filters and lubricants from his own business, located in the department of León, to his customers who daily visit him to make their purchases. His business is called Vulcanización Venceremos and he also provides vehicle services like oil change and car wash. He is requesting financing to buy automobile lubricants, tires and filters to offer for sale so that he can generate income to support his family which so depends on him to get ahead and develop.

Translated from Spanish by Michael Bujazan, Kiva Volunteer

Elly Kanyogonya's Group : Uganda

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 05:30:15 PST

$3,250 of $4,975 raised.

Started raising funds on Nov 2, 2009

Kanyogonya Elly is 61 years old and married with six children aged 12 to 24 years. He is a strong and hard-working man who also helps to take care of four orphans.

Elly has a butcher shop in Kizinda town where he has been selling fresh meat for twenty years. He is grateful that, at the moment, he is able to make about $215 in profits each month. Elly says that he started as a helper for four years in his father’s butcher shop, and later started up his own, where he was buying meat in kilograms. He is happy that now he buys the whole animals for meat.

He has been successful because of the quality meat that he sells, as well as having good customer care. Elly says that there is a lot of competition in his business, but he believes this is no threat because of his good service.

He needs a loan to help buy a cow for meat.

Rios De Agua Viva Group : Bolivia

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:40:18 PST

$100 of $3,250 raised.

Started raising funds on Nov 20, 2009

The community bank group "Rios De Agua Viva" ("Rivers of Life Water") is based out of one of the regional offices of Kiva partner Pro Mujer near the Andes. The group has about two years' experience, and the majority of the 12 members make a living weaving blankets and selling food. A few others dedicate themselves to making cards, sewing jackets, producing party favors or selling spare auto parts. The members are in need of the loan so they can purchase the supplies they need to make their products, such as wool and fabric, while other plan to use the loan to purchase merchandise. The leader of this group is president Olga Estrella, Mery Mamani is the treasurer and Guadalupe Quezada is the secretary. All the members enjoy participating in their meetings as well as the training sessions.

Translated from Spanish by Marty Greenstein, Kiva Volunteer

Elizabeth Obi : Nigeria

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:50:11 PST

$25 of $475 raised.

Started raising funds on Nov 21, 2009

Elizabeth is 40 years-old and married with seven children. Her children are in school and she hopes to give them a quality education. She sells drums that are used as storage for water and lubricants. She is the only person in her community that sells this type of drums. She is happy because the demand for her drums is high and she hopes to be able to meet the demands of her customers. Elizabeth has been in this business for a long time. She hopes for a loan of 70,000 NGN to purchase more drums to sell. She says thanks to all Kiva lenders.

Rukiri 2 Group : Uganda

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:00:16 PDT

$2,275 of $4,950 raised.

Started raising funds on Nov 1, 2009

Bananuka Lucas is the leader of his lending group in Ibanda. He is a determined and hardworking man who owns a retail shop and an alcohol store in Nyarukika trading centre. He has done this for 15 years. He is 42 years old and married with 6 children, most of whom are in secondary school; he takes care of 2 dependants. Due to Lucas’ good service, he is able to make a sizable profit, which he uses to take care of his family and to acquire other family properties. Lucas would like to continue with his business; indeed, he wants to expand by offering more products and thus increasing income. He is seeking a loan to help restock his business with more products such as beer and wine, in order to make more of a profit. He is really grateful for his loans.

Siempre Alegres Group : Bolivia

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:00:22 PDT

$2,025 of $2,700 raised.

Started raising funds on Nov 1, 2009

Twelve women decided to become a part of an association called “Siempre Alegres” (Always Joyful). The group meets biweekly at the Villa Exaltacion communal banking center. The current president is Ana Garcia. She works in the sale of undergarments and the other members have different businesses. For example: Olga sells party favors, Remedios sells pork, Sara crafts costumes, Natalia does artisanal weaving, and Maxima sells snacks. The Siempre Alegres association needs to purchase merchandise in order to increase its sales. This will enable them to acquire larger incomes for the good of their families.

Translated from Spanish by Joseph Tobin, Kiva Volunteer

Esmeralda Group : Bolivia

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:00:50 PDT

$1,800 of $3,350 raised.

Started raising funds on Nov 1, 2009

Filomena Villazante is a member of the Esmeralda Group, which has been working with Pro Mujer for approximately 12 years. She recalls that after three months of training she was able to acquire a loan to invest in her business. This has brought about many changes for her. Filomena now spends her time pursuing different business activities such as sewing clothes, weaving, and selling shoes. She currently produces fabric used for making clothing and needs a loan to buy wool.

The other members also have their own retail businesses selling plastics, dried foods, clothing, and woven rugs. They all need a loan to buy merchandise and raw materials.

Translated from Spanish by Ronan Reodica, Kiva Volunteer