Kiva Loans for MiCredito

Ana Rosa : Nicaragua

Thu, 23 May 2013 10:10:03 PDT

$75 of $400 raised.

Started raising funds on May 23, 2013

Ana is a humble vendor. She is 47 years old and struggled to finish her primary education as she was born into poverty and the only way to survive was to work in order to put food on the table. Ana started cleaning houses and working as a domestic but the income she made wasn't enough to provide her children with an education. With the support of her husband, she put together some money and started selling tacos. She recalls that, in the beginning, she only had one liter of oil and 20 tortillas. Now she sells chicken and meat tacos, as well as selling cosmetics through catalogs. This is how she earns a living every day and how she pays for her youngest son's education. She has been working as a vendor for 8 years. Ana needs this loan to buy firewood, corn, oil, meat, chicken, and cosmetics such as creams, perfumes, lipsticks, etc. She would like to be able to have cosmetics to sell in the run up to Mothers Day as well as selling her delicious tacos. Ana would like to buy display cases in which to display her cosmetics and she would like to improve her food business by turning it into a well-equipped eatery where her customers can sit down and eat her delicious, warm tacos. Above all, she would like to get her children ahead in life.

Cresencio De Jesus : Nicaragua

Thu, 23 May 2013 11:20:02 PDT

$50 of $400 raised.

Started raising funds on May 23, 2013

Cresencio’s a humble, hardworking, 38-year-old farmer living in a small rural community called Cusirisne. He has worked growing basic grains since he was very little since it’s an activity he learned by tradition since his parents have worked in agriculture for more than 20 years. Some of the cows he has he’s purchased gradually with money earned from his crops and from his work in Costa Rica picking watermelons and melons. Today he’s requesting a loan to buy manure and fertilizer and to pay labor costs to plant basic grains. He also has as a project to improve milk production so one of his goals is to buy two calves to increase his herd size. This is an activity he wants to develop to earn extra income.

Alfonso : Nicaragua

Thu, 23 May 2013 11:30:02 PDT

$25 of $625 raised.

Started raising funds on May 23, 2013

Alfonso lives in the community of Las Cañitas. He has 12 children nine of which are married and have their own businesses. Alfonso only has two daughters who are 18 and 22 years old in his care; one of them is attending university. Alfonso has worked growing corn and beans since the age of 15 on his parents’ land. Today, Alfonso has his own land and cattle; he’s also purchased a mill to grind corn for tortillas. He does the agricultural work with the help of laborers and he says that once the harvest is in he takes it to be sold in the market in Managua since he’s paid better for the grain there. Alfonso is asking for this loan to buy supplies like manure and fertilizer and to pay labor costs for bean planting because he needs to prepare the soil before winter starts and also has the project of preparing the land to graze his cattle and continue striving to pay for his daughters’ education.

Jose Octavio : Nicaragua

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:20:01 PDT

$75 of $1,000 raised.

Started raising funds on May 22, 2013

José is a humble but hard-working salesman who has been selling clothing and shoes for 10 years. He is married and the father of fifteen-year-old twins. José started his business with financial help from other institutions and gradually saved up enough to buy more merchandise so that his wife could sell too. The couple travel to different regions to sell their products and when their children are on holiday from school they also support their parents in the business. José and his wife work so that they can make progress and enjoy a better quality of life. His wish is for his children to go to university. José needs this loan to buy shoes, sandals, flip flops and clothing. This will allow him to make the most of the time of year when people are buying gifts for Mothers Day and he will make good income. José likes to offer his customers a good range of merchandise and affordable prices so that they are happy with his service.

Juan : Nicaragua

Thu, 23 May 2013 20:00:02 PDT

$0 of $425 raised.

Started raising funds on May 23, 2013

Juan is originally from the region of Los Potrerillos, which is on the outskirts of Teustepe. He is married and has eight children. Four of them are married and four of them are under the age of 17 and still in his care. Juan studied through the fourth year of his secondary level at an institute in a town near his region.

Juan has been growing corn, beans, and wheat for 40 years. At the age of 15 he worked alongside his father, who taught him everything about farming. He also works as a bricklayer and with his earnings, he was able to improve his house and buy cows. In order to carry out his work of planting and harvesting corn, beans, and wheat, he relies on the help of his children but there frequent times when he has to pay a laborer who can quickly finish the work in a day. His harvested crops are sold in the same region, which allows him to avoid transport costs.

Today Don Juan is requesting a loan so that he can buy fertilizers, compost, bean and corn seeds for planting, as well as pay for a hired laborer. He says that this loan will help him buy the seeds and supplies needed for planting, which in time will lead to a quality production. Once he repays this loan, Juan says that he will request another one so that he can buy a breeding bull. For the moment, he will finish clearing his land so that it will be ready for planting corn and beans.