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Gakii Mwenda, one of our Kiva lenders from Kenya

Gakii Mwenda lives in the Nkubu area of Central Kenya. She has been a farmer for 13 years. Gakii has been producing french beans, potatoes and milk. She sells her produce on the local market.

Gakii has made a loan request to Kiva so she could buy dairy goats and construct a barn on her farm. She intends to expand her dairy goat farming and keep cows in the future. She says she will fully rely on the farming income for the upkeep of her children.

When I read Gakii’s request, it made me think of many Kenya’s women I met during my visit last year. Most of them, like Emily manage their household, their farm and their family entirely by themselves. Many are widows, or their husbands work in the cities, only coming home a couple of times per year.

In honour of the strong women in this world, today I allocated 52 new microfinance loans via Kiva. Some of these loans go to individual women, some are group loans.

With these new loans, we reached over 100 women. They live all over the world: Mexico, Bolivia, Philippines, Uganda, Mongolia, Peru, the DRC, Ecuador, Ukraine, the Dominican Republic, Rwanda, Kenya, Azerbaijan, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan and Cambodia. 18 countries.. did I count that well?

They needed help in setting up or expanding their retail business, buy seeds or fishlings, invest in new farming equipment or stocks.

It is amazing to realize, that from my desk in Italy, I can make a difference in the lives of over 100 women in 18 countries… Why don’t you join our Kiva team, and allocate your microfinance loan too?

Here is the list of new loans I allocated today:

• Amanda in Peru: $25
• Luz 2 Group in Mexico: $25
• Kollitas Group in Bolivia: $25
• Amistad Del Sur Group in Bolivia: $50
• Lydia Matias in Philippines: $50
• Mumuwa Community Bank Group in Uganda: $100
• Usukhjargal Adiyakhuu in Mongolia: $50
• Sabina in Bolivia: $50
• Elsa in Peru: $25
• Amigos Emprendedores Group in Peru: $100
• Resurection Plus Group in DRC: $25
• Agge Plus Group in DRC: $25
• Fuerza 2008 Group in Peru: $50
• Beatriz Adelina in Ecuador: $50
• Qolquewasi Group in Peru: $100
• Yuliya Morozova in Ukraine: $50
• Cristo Y Nuestro Esfuerzo 2 & 5 Group in Dominican Republic: $100
• Jehova Jireh 1, 2 & 3 Group in Dominican Republic $100
• Javzandulam Jamsran in Mongolia: $50
• Mercy Kibiti in Kenya: $50
• Charity Kiogora in Kenya: $50
• Margarita Abuton in Philippines: $50
• Leonie in Rwanda: $50
• Sevda Kazimova in Azerbaijan: $25
• Lider De Defensores Group in Peru: $25
• Maria Auxiliadora Valencia Figueroa in Ecuador: $25
• Mara Santos in El Salvador: $25
• Carvir Orfelia Arguello in Nicaragua: $25
• Jorenda Castillon in Philippines: $25
• Jesus Fuerza De Vida Group in Peru: $25
• Mara Auxiliadora Moreira Solorzano in Ecuador: $25
• Zaira Chachua in Georgia: $25
• Girasol Group in Nicaragua: $25
• Union And Strength Group in Honduras: $50
• Mara Jose Pineda in Nicaragua: $50
• Florenda Jimenez in Philippines: $25
• Josephine Cabanlit in Philippines: $50
• Margaret Wambui in Kenya: $50
• Anonymous in Peru: $50
• Maria Cecilia in Ecuador: $25
• Maksuda Sultanova’s Group in Kyrgyzstan: $25
• Carmelita Porperio in Philippines: $25
• Kanyshai Abdirasilova’s Group in Kyrgyzstan: $100
• Elvira Jakypbaeva’s Group in Kyrgyzstan: $25
• Editha Santiago in Philippines: $25
• Pelicia in Philippines: $25
• Lilia in Philippines: $25
• Nhhoep San in Cambodia: $50
• Elena Cipriano in Philippines: $25
• Gakii Mwenda in Kenya: $50
• Burulsun’s Group in Kyrgyzstan: $50
• Pascasie in Rwanda: $50

Gloria Daliego's team

Gloria Daliego lives in the village of Estrella, San Guillermo, in the Philippines. She is 41 years old and the group leader of a 13-member group loan. While each member of the group receives an individual loan, they are all collectively responsible for paying back the loans of their fellow group members if someone is delinquent or defaults.

Gloria is married and has 4 school-aged children. She owns and operates a farming business, planting and harvesting a variety of vegetables for sale. Gloria has been engaged in her business for over 10 years and earns approximately 4,000 PHP a month from it.

In 2009, Gloria asked a microfinance loan to help improve her living situation and ability to engage in business activities. Gloria has successfully repaid a previous loan of 5,000 PHP, which was used to purchase additional seeds, seedlings and young crops to raise.

Gloria is requesting a new loan of 8,000 PHP which will again be used to purchase additional seeds, seedlings and young crops to raise. She plans to use the additional revenue generated from the business to improve/expand her business.

As part of our newest loans, concentrating on entrepreneurs active in the agricultural sector, we allocated $50 to Gloria’s group.

Here are our most recent loans:

• Ratna Sari Group in Indonesia: $100
• Maria Timbal in Philippines: $25
• Rosalinda Zumel in Philippines: $50
• Emma Babayran Group in Philippines: $100
• Nilda in Peru: $50
• Letty Salvejo in Philippines: $50
• Rosario Bodiongan in Philippines: $50
• Chea Sareth in Cambodia: $50
• Gloria Daliego’s Group in Philippines: $50
• Mirtha Elena Nima Jara in Peru: $50
• Koryun Margaryan in Armenia: $50
• Elio Carrin Odar in Peru: $50
• Hakob Tadevosyan in Armenia: $25
• Murad Mirzayev in Azerbaijan: $50
• Ararat Danielyan in Armenia: $25
• Sirac Aliyev in Azerbaijan: $50
• Tofiq Valikhanov in Azerbaijan: $50
• Anonymous in Lebanon: $50
• Martik Bayramyan in Armenia: $50
• Mugyenyi Alex in Uganda: $50
• Cruz Enrique in Nicaragua: $50

Sobirahon Ahmadalieva (on the left) with her team

Sobirahon Ahmadalieva is 51 years old and divorced. She lives with her four children in Aravan, Kyrgyzstan. The older son works in construction, the second repairs cars, and her two daughters study at the university.

With her team, Sobirahon breeds cattle for resale after fattening. In this way she earns about $85 per month. With her microfinance loan of $1,066 she wants to purchase two bull calves for breeding.

In the future she wants to increase the number of cattle and save money to celebrate her daughter’s wedding.

We funded 10% of her loan request, which she will pay back over the course of the next 18 months.

This was one of 17 loans we issued today, concentrating on women, and lender’s groups working in agriculture. This time, the lenders were mostly from South America and Central Asia:

• Gregoria Balderramos in Ecuador: $50
• Mariposas De Endare women in Mexico: $100
• El Monte De Joco women in Ecuador: $100
• Ruth Ponce in Ecuador: $50
• Aida Rochina in Ecuador: $50
• Digna Carbo in Ecuador: $50
• Rita Carbo in Ecuador: $50
• Norma Ramirez in Ecuador: $50
• Laura Surez in Ecuador: $50
• Nancy Chango in Ecuador: $25
• Dilbarhon Melibaeva group in Kyrgyzstan: $100
• The Cumbe Group in Ecuador: $100
• Aiymbubu Kudaybergenova in Kyrgyzstan: $50
• Sobirahon Ahmadalieva’s Group in Kyrgyzstan: $100
• Mukarramhon Urinova’s Group in Kyrgyzstan: $75
• Tolobubu Jenalieva’s Group in Kyrgyzstan: $50
• Dinara Kojomshukurova’s Group in Kyrgyzstan: $50

Armen wants to invest in potato seedlings for the next planting season

Armen Hovhannisyan lives in Armenia, in a village called “Lchashen” with his parents, his wife and two children.

Armen has been a farmer for about 15 years. In his farm he has cows, sheep, pigs, and chickens. Armen’s wife helps him in farming, so they support their family, develop their farm and pay for their children’s education at university. He asked for a loan of 1,000,000 AMD (USD$ 2,800) to buy potato seedlings, which he will plant next spring.

Armen Hovhannisyan is one of the 31 new loans we have issued to Kiva this week.
In this tranche, we slightly deviated from our usual emphasize on women, but concentrated on entrepreneurs working in groups, and lenders working in agriculture.

• Juan in Bolivia: $50.00
• Juma Isoev in Tajikistan: $50.00
• Unathan Orihbai in Mongolia: $50.00
• Anhbayar Odsuren in Mongolia: $50.00
• Ayush Lhamjav in Mongolia: $50.00
• Yondonpuntsag Tuvdendorj in Mongolia : $25.00
• Yousouf Kon in Mali: $50.00
• Grover Alberto in Bolivia: $50.00
• Gonzalo Quiroz in Bolivia: $50.00
• Joseph Parsapayet in Kenya: $25.00
• Narnaa Nyamaa in Mongolia: $50.00
• Nemat Hasanov in Tajikistan: $50.00
• Armen Hovhannisyan in Armenia: $50.00
• Urozali Halilov in Tajikistan: $50.00
• Al Progreso Group in Peru: $100.00
• Marco Antonio in Bolivia: $50.00
• Nazri Odinaev in Tajikistan: $50.00
• Mirzorahmad Safarov in Tajikistan: $50.00
• Olimboy Soliev in Tajikistan: $50.00
• Anonymous in Lebanon: $50.00
• Leopoldo Arcides in El Salvador: $50.00
• Samuel Antonio in El Salvador: $50.00
• Manuel Carrasco in Ecuador: $50.00
• Sagrada Familia Group in Peru: $100.00
• Creciendo Juntos Group in Peru: $100.00
• Libertad Group in Bolivia: $100.00
• The Entrepreneurs Group in Bolivia: $100.00
• La Capilla Group in Mexico: $100.00
• Kua Guapa Group in Paraguay: $100.00
• Emprendedoras Del Valle Triunfo Group in Peru: $100.00
• Medalla Milagrosa Group in Paraguay: $50.00

In the course of the past two years, Our Kiva team has now allocated over 1,000 microfinance loans, for a total value of US$39,500. Check our score card for the details!

Of the microfinance loans I have allocated to people in 36 countries, 90% were women.
37% of the loans went to people working in the agricultural sector, 26% works in retail (smaller shops) and 21% worked in food processing and food trade.