Adding to basket
35-year-old Noemi, mother of two children (8,11) has 9 years of formal education. Her children are in the 2nd and 5th grades. Noemi is married to a teacher and the couple works hard so that their children can attend school. 17 years ago, she joined the family tailoring business. 2.5 years ago, she began to sell beef from her home. With her 6th Kiva loan, Noemi can buy another sewing machine, as well as a freezer for the beef.
Six Maya K’iche women have elected Noemi to be the Secretary of their Friendship Bridge Trust Bank “Santa Isabel 2”. They live in the department/state of Totonicapan. The women sell fruits, vegetables, beef and have tailoring shops. They meet monthly, make loan payments, and then a facilitator shares relevant information with them drawn from 4 topics: business, health, family and women. Recent themes have been about rights of women and joint decision making. The interactive sessions are designed by a facilitator who uses role playing, pictures, games, and diagrams to share the information. Education is a key component of the “Microcredit Plus” program.
It would be impossible for Noemi and her friends to walk into a bank to secure a loan. Thank you, Kiva lenders for helping them help themselves!
In this group: Magdalena, Noemi Antonia, Antonia Lourdes, Antonia Venancia, Magdalena Victorina, Magdalena , Catarina
