Jireh Group

Forty-two-year-old Antonia is keenly aware of the value of education, even though she only reached the fourth grade. She is proud of her four children (ages seven to eighteen) who are in the first and ninth grades, while another graduated from high school. Her husband drives a minibus in their community in the department/state of Solola.

Ten years ago, she opened her business sewing and embroidering traditional blouses called “huipiles”. She has one employee and can deliver five each month. Two years ago, she began selling delicious regional snack foods every morning.

Her goals are to meet demand, generate more income, and be better positioned to take care of the expenses of her children, including their education. She requests her fifth Kiva loan to buy fabric, thread, and ingredients for her recipes like corn, rice, beans, and tomatoes.

The Friendship Bridge Trust Bank “Jireh” enables seven Maya K’iche women like Antonia to participate in the “Microcredit Plus” program of loans, education, and healthcare. They work hard at their businesses raising livestock and poultry, selling milk and cheese, as well as fabricating traditional textiles. Recently at their training, they learned about how to best manage their loans. At other meetings, they learn about health, nutrition, hygiene, and women’s issues. Every two months, they have access to basic healthcare services including exams, consults, and family planning.

Thank you, Kiva lenders!

In this group: Maria , Maria , Clara , Juana , Antonia , Santa , Hilda Lucia