Arca Del Sabor Group

Twenty-six-year-old Rosa has a two-year-old son and is married to a day laborer. The family lives in a community in the department/state of Solola. She has a fifth-grade education and is learning a great deal through the monthly educational training (covering health, family, women, and business) provided by the Friendship Bridge “Microcredit Plus” program. Three years ago, Rosa opened her business embroidering colorful traditional blouses called “huipiles.” She also sells traditional wrap-around skirts called “cortes.” She sells as a street vendor and has dreams of opening a brick-and-mortar store, attractively displaying her textiles and earning more income. Rosa is requesting her first Kiva loan to buy fabric and thread at the wholesale level.

Rosa and six Maya K’iche women look forward to the monthly meetings of their Friendship Bridge Trust Bank “Arca del Sabor.” The majority of them raise domestic livestock, embroider traditional textiles, or sell tortillas. The “Microcredit Plus” program, consisting of loans, education, and bi-monthly health care services, is essential for their success because they have little or no formal education, and health care services can be challenging to access. Recent topics for the training have been about business administration, wise loan investment practices, women’s health, and the risks of loaning one’s name to another person’s business.

Thank you, Kiva lenders, for lending a helping hand to Rosa and her friends!

In this group: Manuela , Selena, Catarina, Catarina Eulalia , Catarina , Rosa , Juana Silvana