More loans to help alleviate poverty

The Grupo De Crédito De Colorado (Colorado’s Communal Bank) is a Communal Bank that meets every fortnight in Colorado, in the Montecristi Canton a place known for its rich pre-colonial culture and for its crafts that are famous both nationally and internationally; here is where the famous straw hats come from. Here is where Carmen lives. She is 56 years old, she is married and she has six children, who are all adults; two of them still live with her. Her husband is unemployed because he has had an accidents and is unable to work. In order to provide for her family, a few years ago Carmen set up a small store in her house, where she sells ice-creams, sodas, sandwiches and other snacks. She decided for this activity because her house is in front of a school and her business is secure because kids generally love all of her products. She used her previous loan to buy school supplies as well, and thanks to this both her activity and her income have improved. She tries to buy more products every day, in order to increase her earning for her family’s wellbeing. The loan she is requesting will be used to buy notebooks, pens, snacks, sweets, ice-creams and other articles that she sells. She has been a member of Grupo De Crédito for 6 years, and she likes it because thanks to the loans she makes her activity grow on a daily basis. Her dream is to keep on improving her activity.

Learn more about Carmen Adelaida's Loan >

Dem is a 63-year-old widow and mother of nine children and a resident in Srey Santhor district of Kampong Cham province. Currently, two of her children still rely on her, one of whom is studying in university. To support the daily cost of living, she plants rice on two hectares of farmland as a main source of income. She has been in this business for ages, earning about USD 8 per day. She has never been with VisionFund (Kiva’s partner) before, but she is taking an education loan to cover the school fee for her daughter, who wants to study in accounting. She hopes her daughter can fulfill her dream of an academic skill so that she can get a good job after graduation.

Learn more about Dem's Loan >

The communal association “AMIGAS DE HUANCANE” will be starting its third cycle with Pro Mujer, as part of the Copacabana centre. It is made up of eight members and is run by a board of directors of which Nicolasa is the President. The businesses which the members of the communal association run are varied and among them are: selling cheese, selling "Api" [a hot drink made from purple corn], selling milk, selling bread and selling cattle. The loan they will take out will benefit small businesswomen of which Nicolasa is a member. She says she joined Pro Mujer three cycles ago after being invited by a promoter from the institution who went to visit her in her home. Currently she has a business selling cheese and milk and she says she learnt the business from her parents as it was the family business. After getting married she decided to start up her own business. The loan she will take out is to increase capital to buy cattle, which she will buy from the communities in the la Paz department. After raising the cattle she will sell them at her sales outlet. This kind of work allows her to generate income to maintain her family, since she is married and has a son. When asked what she likes about Pro Mujer, she says she likes the savings which the institution offers.

Learn more about Amigas De Huancane Group's Loan >

The communal bank Grupo De Crédito De Colorado meets once a fortnight in Colorado, in the Montecristo canton. The area is known for its rich precolonial culture and for its handicrafts which are renowned both nationally and internationally. It is the home of the famous Panama straw hats. This is where Yinger lives. She is 37 years old and is married. They have three children aged 17,14 and 8; the older ones are at college and the youngest is at primary school. Yinger's husband is a car mechanic. As a good wife, Yinger is taking out the loan for herself and for her husband to use in his work. He has a car repair workshop at their home where she also sells some spares such as oil, brake fluid, tyres and other items. She sells these on a daily basis to customers who visit her husband's workshop, which is very busy. He has a lot of experience repairing cars and has had the workshop for more than 17 years. This is how he earns a living and provides for the family. The loan is to buy tyres, oil and spares. Yinger has been in the communal bank for 8 years and she likes it because the loans help her to finance her business. Her dream is for her children to become professionals.

Learn more about Yinger Marilin's Loan >

“Familia la Lagunita” [The Little Lake Family] is located in a very beautiful community, and the people who live there are very kind. Also, many of them still speak their maternal language—Mazahua. The members of the group say that they hold most of their conversations in this language—they seldom speak Spanish. They have chosen their group name because there is a little lake where Inocencia lives, and they meet there. Also, the three members of the group are relatives. Inocencia, the representative of the group, is 33 years old and she is married to Señor Esteban, who works as a vendor. Together they form a family, with four children, two of whom are attending school. Inocencia has been selling handbags and eyewear at fairs for 14 years, and she wants to invest her money in the purchase of more items. She says, “I began my work because one of my aunts gave me the idea of starting a business.” Inocencia only completed primary school and she did not have many choices when it came to finding a good job, so she decided to start her business. She and her husband sell together at fairs and markets because they say that is when there are the most earnings. Esteban sells wallets and toys, and he will use his loan to purchase more toys. Inocencia doesn’t have any problems with her business, saying “I like this occupation a lot because it’s a way to meet more people.” The goal of Inocencia and her husband is to be able to grow their businesses and build a store where they can sell their items. Inocencia will have more peace of mind, as she says that going to the fairs and kiosks is dangerous—some days she brings her children to her business but she fears for their safety. Teresa is the other member of the group and she is seeking a loan in order to invest in vegetables. The three members are very happy and thankful for VisionFund and Kiva—and for the opportunity to receive a loan.

Learn more about Familia La Lagunita Group's Loan >

Gevorg is a young farmer from Byuravan village of the Ararat region. He lives with his wife, parents, and his brother. The latter is currently in the military service in the army. To take care of his family, Gevorg is engaged in the cultivation of tomatoes, peaches, apricots, cherries, plums, grapes, apples, and pears. He realizes the agricultural products in the local market, which is the main source of family’s income. Gevorg’s family members assist him greatly in his everyday activities related to farming. To continue running his agribusiness in a sustainable way, Gevorg needs to make some investments. He particularly needs a loan of 3,000 USD to purchase fertilizers, buy tree layers, and pay for the harvesting services and the workforce. As this is Gevorg’s first loan, it has been approved within the framework of the new joint initiative of Kiva and SEF. The first-chance loan program provides loans to people who did not have access to credit products before because they have no credit history. Gevorg and his family highly rely on the good will of the lenders and will be very thankful to them for the support.

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Ms Mateso is a member of the Upole credit group. An entrepreneur, aged 51, she is the mother of 11 children, all of whom attended school. Her husband is a farmer. The client has been selling maize for the past 20 years. The new loan will allow her to purchase 30 new bags of maize, in order to help her grow her business. She is thankful to Hekima for the support they to provide women living in rural areas regarding access to credit and savings.

Learn more about Upole Group's Loan >