Maria Virginia started off with one of the most frightening business plans of all the clients from our first group. She had wanted to open a French Fry cart, needing the loan to buy a metal cart to cook and display the product. Her business model was absolutely no good though, so the BA (with the help of our fearless leaders Chutta & Kristin too) worked hard to come up with alternatives. The biggest problem seemed to be that the costs of potatoes were just too much, she should have reduced the amount of fried given & she was not selling enough volume to cover the costs of oil & the cart. 
cart she desired and within a month realized that the cart was not a wise investment unless her sales were much hirer. So she stuck to making them in a simple metal pot.eventually. Through the loan process she decided to add to her plan selling pork rinds as well as French fries. 
Dona Catalina is thirty years old and was born in Chiqueleau, as was her husband (who is 35 years old). Her three children were hiding and peeking out from behind a wall as I interviewed her. Catalina has two sons (one is 12 and in the 5th grade, the other is 8 and in the 1st grade) and one daughter (who is 10 and in the 4th grade). She was resolved to send all her children to school even before participating in the Edubanco program, but reports that the loan is helping relieve the costs of having three children in school (and not around to help her). She is willing to find some way to pay for her children to continue school past the sixth grade in another town. Dona Catalina never went to school, and cannot read or write. Her parents did not support educating girls and were only willing to send the boys to school. Catalina, however, recognizes the importance of educating her daughter as well as her sons, and is committed to helping them continue their education as far as they can. 
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Meet the Microentrepreneurs Sonia Yadira Vicente Sars
Sonia also had another blessing during this cycle. She gave birth soon after having received her loan. She really likes the Microcredit with Business advising program. What impresses the whole Guatemala team most is that she has even started to record her own costs and sales each month, putting directly into practice ideas from the Business Education modules “Manage your business money”. That chicken scratch she presents to Domingo each month might be the prettiest site our BA has seen yet from a client. We are also only looking towards better things for Sonia in the coming months. A few of the expenditures at the beginning of the cycle were for goods that will last at least a year. Domingo plans on seeing her profits continue to increase. Maria Virginia Hernandez Perez
We had a rough time initially finding alternatives that seemed viable to her, but poco a poco she was somewhat acceptive to the new ideas. Luckily for Dona Virgina she was never able to find the Dona Virgina has shown the most interest out of any of the clients concerning the Business Education sessions. She has recognized the importance of planning, and even touts it now at the meetings, encouraging the others to do the same. Her biggest challenge has been to finally move outside her comfort zone and sell her products to a larger base of clients, currently she only sells within the confines of the Packaging plant she is custodian to, selling to the employees. The BA hopes he can get her to move outside the gets next cycle. She plans to continue next cycle, buying a fridge and adding frozen fruit to her treats for sale. Maura Noehia Archila Ixcacoj
Maura had her own store in the section of town called Buena Vista. She was doing well for the majority of the loan and even had started her own Inventory/Costs control to manage the business. Sadly Maura assisted to only 2 of the Business training because of her difficulty to go the long distance to the loan meeting point. Maura lives on the outskirts of the community and because so encountered difficulty with security. A band of extortionists were hanging around her neighborhood during the holiday season. She had discussed the problem with our BA, who suggested that she not close the shop entirely, but try to find 1-2 hours a day when it would still be safe for her to sell and be safe. Her main concern is that her husband is often traveling leaving her to the 2 children. Eventually she did close the shop. Maura decided not to continue with the 2nd cycle of the program.
Marķa Asuncion Climbs the Ladder of Success!
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Marta Leticia Sagche Lopez (Leti) - Our newest Weaving Specialist?
I spent the most time with Leti, who attempted to teach me how to weave. My feet have never been as numb in my life as they were after less than half-an-hour seated on my heals! Leti was born in Antigua where her family owns a weaving business. She learned to weave when she was eight years old. Leti moved to Tzancaguip when she got married, although her husband still works during the week in Antigua. She has no children, as her only daughter died at seven months from severe diarrhea and dehydration. Leti explained she could not get to the hospital in time to save her daughter, and is scared to have another child. Another borrower, Florinda Calel also lost one of her six children at seven years to the flu (possibly meningitis). As I tried to focus intently on the intricate stitches I was being taught, Leti described her business. It takes her six months, weaving all day, everyday, to make one huipil which Leti can sell for 2-3000Q ($286-$429). The cost is huge for families with many daughters, as it is traditional for every woman to have at least one huipil. Additionally, Leti explained it is customary to give one’s mother-in-law a huipile costing around 6000Q ($857)! Leti lives in a big house in a central location, just across the road from the church. She would like to open a small store in her home so passerby buy her weaving, along with other necessities, as they leave church. Education is Key for Catalina
Originally, she wanted to use her 2000Q ($286) loan to help in her husband’s business buying and selling chili. Because chili is not grown in the community, her husband has to travel great distances to buy it, and she thinks she needs a loan of 6000Q ($857) to start a profitable business with this good. In the meantime, she bought a cow for 2000Q ($286) which she will sell for 4000Q ($571). She also weaves to make a little extra money. Her main worry is keeping her cow healthy and vaccinated. She is concerned because she does not have adequate space for the cow in front of her home as her husband is cultivating tomatoes and she cannot let the cow eat them. Additionally, although her father taught her how to raise her cow, she is concerned because she had no prior experience in this business. More broadly, Don~a Catalina thinks about the need to care for her family and keep her house safe and clean. She like CARE’s program because the repayment of the loan is at the end, giving her time to fatten her cow and sell it for enough to pay back the loan. She also mentioned that being a part of the group is bringing her satisfaction in her life, and she greatly appreciates the programs teaching her things she did not know before. For example, she mentioned she does not want to have more children now, and she learned how to care for her chickens. In the future, Don~a Catalina would like to gain more skills, work more, and earn more so she can have her own money that is not in loans but that is hers. Dona Blanca Builds a Home Doña Blanca’s husband had neither land nor a house when he married her. His uncle gave them permission to build a house on his land, but as they had no money, they lived in a one-room shack made out of plastic bags. Her husband was a soldier for the Guatemalan government and his job required him to be gone for twenty days to a month at a time. He would only provide her with 200 Quetzals a month, an amount that was not nearly enough to live on. Doña Blanca had no other choice but to begin making money herself, but with a new-born baby, she had to work at home. She took out her first loan, which allowed her to begin making clothes and raising pigs to sell in the market. Later, she began cooking tamales and other dishes to sell. From the money she earned in these endeavors, Doña Blanca saved a little each month with which to buy cement blocks. After several years, she had enough blocks to build a house so that she no longer had to live in the shack made of plastic bags. In 1997, she took out a small loan with which she built a second small house on her property which she currently rents out. Her third loan helped her to buy clothes, which she then began selling on foot. Her fourth loan allowed her to buy a small warehouse in which to store her merchandise at night. Another loan provided her with the money to rent a stall in the local market, where she currently sells clothing. Her most recent loan has allowed her to purchase higher quality clothing to sell in her stall. Through the micro-credit loan process, Doña Blanca has been able to improve her living situation. The money she received has helped her expand her businesses and build safe and comfortable housing. Furthermore, the loans have allowed her to become financially independent. This fact, combined with the increased self-esteem she has developed through her relationship with the other borrowers, has allowed Doña Blanca to build up the confidence to kick her husband out of their house. While this was very difficult for her, Doña Blanca knows it was the right thing to do for both her children and herself. This story is so moving because it not only demonstrates how microcredit loans help move women out of poverty, but also how they help women develop independence and a sense of self worth.
If you live or are visiting Acul or any other part of the Ixil Triangle area of Northern Guatemala and want an especially beautiful “guipil” (a traditional shirt of the region), be sure to look up Petrona Raymundo. Her guipiles are special because each one is an original design that symbolizes the traditions and colors of that particular region of Guatemala. They are vibrant and intricately woven by hand. Petrona is 41 with seven children that range in age from 9 to 21 years. All of Petrona’s children still live with her. The younger ones attend school and the older ones assist her in running her business and in keeping up with household duties. Petrona is grateful that her children have the opportunity to go to school and one of her dreams is to continue to support her children to further their education with her increase in income through the sale of guipiles. She remembers the time during the civil war when there was so much violence in Acul that many families were moved out of their houses. When women and families were able to return to their homes the poverty was so severe they didn’t even have access to basics like soap. But things are looking up now that Petrona has received a loan – the first ever in her life—of 960 Q ($128 US) from funds provided by NamasteDirect and administered by its partner in Guatemala, Friendship Bridge. With these funds Petrona was able to buy a much wider variety of colors of thread. This means she is now making a higher quality, more attractive product for which she can charge more money. Now she devotes a month to making each guipil – and look at the resulting garment she is wearing in her picture! Petrona has a lot of pride in her craft and eventually she would like to sell to larger markets outside of Acul where the demand for high-end products is greater. Petrona is aware that accessing markets outside of her community could be difficult but she is up for the challenge. In addition to supporting her children’s education, Petrona will also be saving from her profits to buy a cow, which will provide her with milk and cheese for her family as well as an opportunity to sell these products to her neighbors. A cow at $330 is a pricy commodity to own in Acul and most families cannot afford one. But through her hard work and motivation, Petrona will make her dream come true!
The Franco-Mirando’s live in the De Sam Rafael area of Villa Canales in Guatemala. They are an inspiring couple as both have a vision and they support each other on the path to fulfilling the dreams that live and breathe on their fingertips as they go about their daily work. Their goal is to provide them with the opportunity to pursue a career of their choice When you approach their house their house your eyes are drawn to a giant bougainvillea bursting with pink flowers. Then you see a sign on the front porch that proclaims, “I Am A Triumphant Woman!” Enriqueta has a small shop to the right of the house where she sells basic household items such as soap, water, and sugar. She also prepares and sells hot lunch food items on some days. When NamasteDirect’s partner MUDE announced that loans would be available in their area, Enriqueta and Paulino together borrowed 1000Q ($133) to purchase two little pigs and to rent a plot of land for growing beans and corn. Paulino was already growing pineapple, which is harvested twice a year, on some communal land set aside for agriculture. Little pigs will grow into big pigs and produce even more pigs. This will mean additional cash flow, which will be used to buy additional diversified inventory for Enriqueta’s store. The pineapple, of which Paulino is especially proud, and the beans and corn will generate both food for the table and crops for the cash market. It is the children that Enriqueta and Paulino think about as they toil both indoors and out. How long can they afford to keep them in school? Through grade school? A must! Through high school? With lots of hard work and some luck – they pray they can do it. Will they be able to get some college? Is it too much to dream for? Like so many of the borrowers funded by NamasteDirect, the future of their children is being formed in the parents’ sweaty work of today. Enriqueta and Paulino are grateful that this future looks so much brighter as the result of this, their very first, microcredit loan. A FRIEND AND I stopped at Gloria Paz’s house near Yojoa, Honduras. At a large opening cut in the wall facing the dusty road, one could buy the fresh, hot tortillas that are Gloria’s specialty. As we munched our way through two delicious tortillas apiece, we asked about her business. “I’ve made tortillas for many years,” Gloria responded, “but only a few were for sale. I couldn’t afford the things I needed to make more. Oh, I could have borrowed money from a coyote (loan-shark), but they charge 15% interest per month, and there would have been no profit.” “So what changed?” Gloria broke into a smile. “You know about
our community bank, Union y Esfuerzo?” Union and Effort – what
a great name, “With a loan from the bank I can now buy my corn meal delivered to my door. Before, I could only afford the little bit I carried home on the bus. And what a savings! It’s the same with the firewood for cooking. Now I can make a good profit on every tortilla I sell.” “You mean you know your cost for each tortilla?” I asked incredulously. “Certainly, let me show you.” She reached below the counter and hauled out a bound, blue ledger proudly emblazoned with “Gloria Paz tortillas” in white ink. Flipping the pages, she said, “See, this is what I spent last month. And over here is the number of tortillas I sold. When I divide my expenses by the number of tortillas, I determine how much each one cost. I compare that to the selling price to get my profit percentage. I want at least 30% profit.” “Beautiful work, Gloria, beautiful.” I appreciated what she was doing as only an accountant would. I wondered if she had more than a third-grade education. Doubtful, I thought. “And did you make a profit for the month, Gloria?” “Sí – here it is.” She pointed at a number at the bottom of the page. “That’s impressive! Is it good pay for all your hours of work?” “No, you don’t understand, Roberto. That’s my profit. My wages are over here, in my list of expenses. I took the minimum wage here in our country for my pay.” I whistled softly. This was as sophisticated business thinking as I’d seen in the U.S.! “But Gloria, where did you learn all this?” “It’s in our training. Each community bank member develops a business plan with a trainer. To get a loan, we must have an approved plan. And we must show our labor as a cost, not a profit. Is this not right? In your country, do people think wages and profits are the same thing?” I shook my head, marveling at her astuteness. “What do you do with the profits, Gloria? Put them all back into the business?” “Some of them I put over our heads!” She laughed gaily and pointed up to the well-fit tile roof, a sharp contrast with the ugly, hot, leaky tin roofs nearby. “Now I can afford medicines for my children when they are sick. And our kids can stay in school longer, instead of having to go to work at a young age. And I have a secret fund,” she grinned mischievously. “If you come back in two years, you will see a new house!” On this high note we said good-bye. “Muchas gracias, Gloria. I’ll be back.” “Sí, sí, but only come when I’m open
for selling the tortillas, Roberto.” She pointed at a sign
with her selling hours on it. — Bob Graham |
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