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During April, the Value Match team loaned an additional 8 loans to support women-owned businesses. Multiple sustainable projects were supported and around $1000 was loaned in total. A big thank you to the whole team for their continued support of these projects, below are some of the projects that our loans are helping to grow:
Flor De Pascua Chuculjuyup group
Ana’s a 50-year-old textile artisan who weaves traditional blouses, Ana is located in Totonicapán, Guatemala. Her business has allowed her to send her 3 grown children to high school, Ana now has 2 employees. Now Ana has requested her 1st Kiva loan to purchase various high-quality threads and fabrics. Ana would also like to start raising sheep to make her business more sustainable.
Ana is the President of the Friendship Bridge Trust Bank “Flor de Pascua Chuculjuyup”. There are 7 other ladies in the group who meet monthly and participate in educational sessions, part of the “Microcredit Plus” program of loans, education, and health care services.
Our contribution is particularly important as it allows Flor de Pascua Chuculjuyup to receive in-depth training on business, health, over-indebtedness, and self-esteem.
Millicent’s Group
Millicent has been working as a farmer for 5 years. Millicent is now a representative of her group with six farmers who live in the Lugari District of Kenya. She is 28 years old, married, and the mother of two children.
Millicent has been working alongside the One Acre Fund since 2019 and has worked hard to become the leading representer of the group. Millicent says that being part of the One Acre Fund community has meant that she has been able to consistently feed her family. Millicent plans to use the profits from this coming season to send her children to school. Millicent’s Group have received 12.75 acres of land, they will also receive two solar lights.
Susan’s Group
Susan is a repeat Kiva borrower with a great history of repaying her loans. Susan is a hard-working widow living in a rural village in the Nakura area of Kenya. Susan has used her previous loans to farm crops and raise livestock. Susan has used this to ensure her children have had a good quality education.
Remarkably Susan hasn’t had any formal education which makes her achievement even more impressive. Susan was seeking a 15,000 KES loan through Kiva’s field partner Juhudi Kilimo to purchase farm inputs such as fertilizer and seeds to enable her to grow more vegetables, reap maximum profits and expand her business.
Being a widow Susan often struggles to access funds in Kenya which means these loans provided through Kiva further helps and empowers Susan and others like her the freedom and independence to build upon their business.
Lilian’s story
Lilian lives in Engari, a rural area within Kiruhura, Uganda.
Lillian operates a merchandise shop within her local trading centre and also does agriculture to feed her family and also supplement her income.
Lillian desires to have a quality and bountiful harvest and is seeking a loan to buy mulch and organic manure for her banana plantation. This will better her production and increase her income.
As a team Value Match have now to date supported 98 projects and lent over $8000 loans across 26 countries. We aim to continue these loans as we continue to value people, value the environment and create sustainable prosperity. Our loans contribute towards women-owned businesses in areas of the world where women are unbanked and usually receive very little support.