Breaking the Poverty Cycle One Belt at a Time: Maria Antonia

Mission Friends,

Honduras is the second poorest country in Central America with 60 percent of the country being affected by poverty and 36 percent living under extreme poverty conditions. Maria Antonia is a 34 year old wife and mother of five children living in the provincial capital, La Esperanza. She was blessed to have been financed and encouraged by her parents to pursue education through her elementary years. She was also taught farming techniques in the home as it has been the main means of income for generations. Maria Antonia’s primary crops are currently potatoes, corn, beans, and coffee. She owns the land that she, her husband and children work on. Her clientele are the members of her same community that purchase their groceries at the local market.

Maria requested a loan of $1250 in order to purchase certified potato seeds, manure, fertilizer, and other things to be able to plant and harvest a quality, attractive product for her customers. Her hope is that this will bolster her productivity and provide enough economic stability so that she can make much needed improvements to her home as well as increase the amount of land that she owns. This would be so that down the road her children would have land to live on and work for themselves. We are pleased to report that not only was the loan fully funded and repaid, but also that it has increased her productivity and output. Maria also mentioned how well she was treated by those who assisted her in this loan and said that she would love to continue working with them.

Thank you all for being part of her success by being a part of the Mission. We’re breaking the poverty cycle one belt at a time!

You can follow up on Maria Antonia’s story and learn about other people that have been funded by the Mission Belt family on the Kiva website.

The Mission Belt Co. – Breaking the poverty cycle one belt at a time.

Kiva is an easily accessible platform that helps connect hard working people with a hand up and a small loan. Because the loans are interest free and 98% of them are repaid, the $1 from your Mission Belt purchase could be used to help hundreds of people invest in their dreams and help end the poverty cycle. They really are small loans that change lives.