The Santa Rosa de Yanahuapa Village Bank is a newly formed group, and is just beginning its first loan cycle with Asociacion Arariwa. The group members are all neighbors from Yanahuapa, a small town about fifteen minutes outside of the city of Urubamba, in the Sacred Valley. Though this is Santa Rosa de Yanahuapa's first loan from Arariwa, many of the group members have previously participated in group loans, either through Arariwa or through other local financial institutions.

At the group's inauguration on March 26th, there was a warm, friendly atmosphere. After singing Peru's national anthem, the group members ate a celebratory inaugural meal of chicken, baked potatoes, corn and cheese in a spicy cilantro sauce, joking and laughing together all the while. The group's loan officer, Alfredo López, told the group that the seed capital they are receiving now may seem like very little, but soon their investments will bear fruit, and that single seed will produce 200, 500, or even 1000 seeds.

The group members are involved in a variety of businesses: they work as artisans, raising livestock or small animals like guinea pigs, growing grains, vegetables and flowers, as grocery store owners, and making and selling chicha, a traditional Andean alcoholic drink made from fermented corn.

The group's president, Juan Gualberto A. G., teaches at the local school and also buys and sells cattle as an extra source of income. He currently has three Brown Swiss cows, and is feeding them so that he can sell them for a higher price. He plans to use his loan to buy seed to plant more grass for his cattle. This is Gualberto's first group loan, and he hopes to lead the group well in order to help its members get ahead in life and expand their businesses. "This organization depends on all of us working well," he told the group. He reminded them that everyone must attend all of the group's meetings, make payments on time, be punctual and responsible, and show solidarity with the other group members.

The Santa Rosa de Yanahuapa group has agreed to work according to these principles and to repay their Kiva loan in full and on time.

Note: Three people in the photo are not group members. The group's loan officer, Alfredo, is pictured sitting on the floor in front of the group. Emperatriz, one of Arariwa's Village Bank Supervisors, is pictured on the far left of the front row. The wife of the group's Secretary is pictured in the back row, third from right.