Gema Group

Valeriana is the thirty-two-year-old treasurer of the Friendship Bridge Trust Bank “Gema”. She had a second grade education and is married to a businessman who sells clothing. She is the mother of five children ranging in age from five months to twelve years of age. She has worked for twenty years arranging thread to weave traditional skirts/”cortes”.She can deliver fifteen bundles of thread each month. She is requesting her fourth Kiva loan to buy a large quantity of thread.

Valeriana joined seven Maya K’iche women and formed the Friendship Bridge Trust Bank “Gema”. They all are weavers. These women appreciate the “Microcredit Plus” program that enables them to have loan support, participate in monthly educational training, and receive bi-monthly healthcare services. These “plus” services are crucial to their success as they have little or no formal education and healthcare can be challenging to access. Topics for the training range from health, nutrition, and hygiene to effective business management practices and the use of social media to promote one’s business. The training is designed by a Facilitator who speaks their language and uses pictures, diagrams, role playing, and games to share information. The healthcare services are delivered by a traveling nurse who offers exams, consults, and family planning.

Thank you, Kiva lenders, for helping women like Valeriana! They are very grateful!

In this group: Ana Lucrecia , Ana Patricia , Valeriana Escolastica , Silvia , Griselda Elizabeth , Esmeralda , Monica Jazmin , Catarina