give one new Kiva loan per month for a year

Rayda Trujillo Rojas—she runs a grocery store in Peru.

“Rayda es una mujer activa y emprendedora, vive en la ciudad de Pucallpa provincia de Coronel Portillo, tiene 52 años, es madre de cinco hijos todos mayores de edad, ella tiene una tienda en su casa donde vende abarrotes en general y bebidas, también se dedica a la costura, cuenta con el apoyo de su esposo quien es cerrajero. Forma parte del Banco Comunal “Bellavista” desde hace tres años, el primer préstamo que obtuvo fue de 300 soles que invirtió en una vitrina para exhibir las golosinas. En la actualidad ella necesita un préstamo de 2,500 que será invertido una parte en productos para su tienda como arroz, leche, yogurt, fideos, azúcar, etc. y la otra parte invertirá en gaseosas. La meta de Rayda es tener una tienda bien implementado de abarrotes.”

I don’t know what any of that means, but isn’t she adorable?

Faauliuli Toia’s main source of income comes from planting and harvesting taro for sale. She is a 49-year-old woman living in the town of Vaovai (Samoa). She is married and has six adult children. Faauliuli has been in this business for over four years and earns approximately 400 WST a month. (0)

In 2006, Faauliuli joined SPBD to gain access to financial services to help improve her living conditions and enable her to engage in business activities. Faauliuli has successfully repaid a previous loan of 1250 WST from SPBD. This previous loan was used to purchase fertilizers such as manure.

Faauliuli is now requesting a new loan of 1500 WST which will be used to invest in expanding the business. This will be her third loan from SPBD. Faauliuli plans to use the additional revenue to improve and expand her business.

Esther Edo is from the town of Kinangay Sur, Clarin, Misamis Occidental (Philippines). She is 50 years old. Esther is married and has 4 adult children. To make a living, Esther owns and operates a service-based business. While not the only means for generating revenue, the main source of income for the business comes from providing motorcab transport services to local community members. Esther has been engaged in her business for over 7 years and earns approximately 3,600 PHP a month for these activities.

Tserendugjir Sharav is 51 years old and lives with her husband and two children in Kharkhorin, the capital city of the ancient Mongolian empire. Her husband works as a driver for the local electricity department, her son attends a local secondary school, and her daughter is a university student. Tserendugjir operates a small felt producing shop in the town along with 4 other people. Together they produce a variety of felt products including slippers, bags, hats, jackets and other handicrafts. The group uses only locally available materials such as sheep and camel wool to make their products. Tserendugjir started her business in 2006 and has since found much success. She has taught all of her children how to make slippers and they help her during their school vacations. Tserendugjir is a very open-minded and responsible businesswoman and her dream is to one day have her own souvenir shop where she and other local handicraft makers can sell their products. She is requesting a 2 million tugrug (approx. $1,380 USD) loan to purchase wool processing equipment that will enable her to increase the productivity of her business and the quality of her products.

Señora Julia is a member of the February 21st Community Bank in the district of Ilave, El Collao province, Puno department. She is 49 years old, married, and has seven children. She was only able to study up to second grade and lives in the neighbourhood of Lacaya (in country of Peru).

She has been working with the Manuela Ramos organisation for two years. Her first loan of 500 soles was used for her business of buying and selling clothes. Julia now needs a loan of 1500 soles which she will use to buy a cow and a bull. She also makes handcrafted bedcovers for babies. Her wish is to open a store selling crafts. She enjoys the savings and meetings associated with the local community banks.

December’s loan went to a woman in Cambodia who wants to invest in her daughter’s business: “Khet Savy, 48, is married and lives in the Kampong Cham province with her four children. She works as a farmer and is typically able to make $1.30 each day. The weather conditions have been difficult for farming in Cambodia this past year, and inflation has also been out of control. These factors have created a difficult economic year for many Cambodians, as food prices have also been high. Khet’s husband works as a carpenter and typically makes $1.40 every day. Two of her children are married and no longer live at home, while one is a student and another is a tailor. She has seen an opportunity to expand her children’s business and wants to take out a loan to make a few purchases. She is asking for $700 to purchase cloth for her child to make clothes. She feels that this new aspect of her child’s business will allow her to increase her income and to raise the standard of living for the whole family.”

November’s loan went to Erika Junieth Puerto Duarte in Chontales, Nicaragua. She is a security guard & college student. She’s using the loan to put a bathroom in the home she shares with her mother & grandmother.

October’s loan went to Bui Thi Thuy. She runs her own business in Me Linh, Viet Nam, selling beer & dried goods.

September’s loan is for Helen Iwuozo. She owns a boutique in Oba market (in Benin City, Nigeria) where she sells bags, shoes and jewelry.

August’s loan went out to Mashrab Hayitkulova in Tursun-Zade, Tajikistan. She sells fabric (chiffon, silk, rayon, etc.)