Adding to basket
It is quite enticing to walk into a candy store in Guatemala and find an array of mouth-watering confections made from fruits and other unique ingredients. Many Maya ladies who live in rural areas, like 48-year-old Micaela, make different candies. She lives in the department of Quiche, and is a member of the Friendship Bridge Trust Bank “Las Rosas San Jorge” group. Micaela is married and raising seven children who are over the age of 11. Her older children completed high school while the rest are still studying. Micaela sells her traditional sweets in two nearby markets. Because her business is so popular, she needs to buy seeds, fruits, sugar and coloring at the wholesale level. This will be her fourth loan.
There are eight women in the group who sell traditional textiles, prepared foods, regional sweets and raise animals. They learn to manage their businesses effectively at their monthly educational sessions, part of the “Microcredit Plus” program of loans, education and health care services. They learn about the dangers of over-indebtedness, effective business management practices, and how to prioritize expenses. The ladies also learn about healthy habits, nutrition and hygiene. They feel fortunate to have access to mobile health clinics every other month when a nurse offers them healthcare services like family planning consults, PAP smears and breast screenings.
Micaela and her friends are poised to step into a brighter future! Thank you, Kiva investors!
In this group: Maria, Manuela, Marta Paula, Micaela , Isabel , Pascuala Asucena, Cristina Esperanza , Yessenia Maribel
