Adding to basket
Juana is 68 years old. When she was 10 years old, her mother died and she was raised by her father. From that age, she made "huipiles" [traditional embroidered blouses] and sold them to help her father with household expenses. She was not able to attend school due to lack of financial resources.
She married at age 15 ad has five children. She supported her children so that they could have a primary school education.
A friend told her about the loans for women offered by the Asociación Chajulense de Mujeres Unidas por la Vida. She used her first two loans to start a business buying and selling tomatoes. With the third loan, she invested to expand from the tomato business into a store selling staple goods. This year she will use her fourth loan to buy flour, sugar, salt, beans, eggs, oil, and other products to expand her store.
Juana is the leader of the group "Chocolate 1". The group includes four women, all of Maya Ixil ethnicity. The group will invest 50% in agriculture, 25% in textiles, and 25% in retail sales. On average, each member of the group has 7 children. Their average age is 50 years and all of them are illiterate.
In this group: Ana, Juana, Juana, Magdalena
Translated from Spanish by Kiva volunteer Joann S. View original language description.
