Adding to basket
Lucia is the busy 49-year-old mother of five children, who range in age from 17 to 31. They each have an average of nine years of formal education. Lucia only attended school for two years. She is married to a bricklayer, and the family lives in a rural area in the department/state of Solola.
Twenty-two years ago, she began fabricating and selling traditional clothing. She has a stand in front of her home. Two of her daughters help her weave these colorful textiles.
Ten years ago, she opened a convenience store and started raising chickens and pigs. Lucia butchers both, saves some for household consumption and sells the rest.
Her goals are to increase the size of her businesses, and with increased income, support more of her household expenses. She requests her first Kiva loan to buy more traditional clothing that is popular for September patriotic festivities, and thread and products for her store.
Seven Maya K’iche women elected Lucia to be the treasurer of their Friendship Bridge Trust Bank “Maya K’iche”. Most of them have the same businesses as Lucia, while others are vegetable farmers.
Their monthly traditional training, part of the “Microcredit Plus” program of loans, education and bi-monthly healthcare services (exams, consults, family planning), is essential to their success. Recent topics have been about savings, business administration and preventative health measures for women.
Thank you, Kiva lenders!
In this group: Maria , Lucia , Magdalena, Juana Leonarda , Marta , Maria , Elena , Dominga
