The Mission Update

A few of months ago we came across Doña Alicia on the Kiva borrower's page. Alicia is a hard working woman from Guatemala who needed a small loan to buy tomato seeds and compost. Below is some of her story.

Doña Alicia is a humble and hardworking woman who lives in Tecpan, Guatemala. Thanks to the help of God, she was able to move her family forward since she is responsible for her children. Alicia grows tomatoes. Thanks to her efforts, she was able to build a greenhouse to make her job easier. She also grows oyster mushrooms that she sells at the market. In her free time, she makes traditional weavings by hand. 

Doña Alicia works to support her family financially because she believes it is very important for her children to get ahead as a result of her efforts. Thanks to Kiva, she will be able to accomplish part of her dream. She will be able to slightly expand her greenhouse so that she can continue to fulfill her dreams. 

Alicia is requesting this loan so that she can buy tomato seeds and compost for growing tomatoes.

(Provided by kiva.com. Translated from Spanish by Kiva Volunteer Ronan Reodica.)

With the help of Mission Belt customers and others, Doña Alicia got her loan and executed her business plan like a pro. She purchased her seeds and compost for growing tomatoes and mushrooms and with the extra money earned she repaid the loan and she is growing more produce and providing better for her family. 

Kiva is amazing because it's 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.