Sixty-year-old Olimpia began sewing pants and shorts when she was only twelve years old. Sixteen years ago, she changed her business and began to sell traditional clothing. She has a room in her home where she sells clothing, bags, shoes, and thread to embroider traditional garments.

Olimpia's home is conveniently located near the center of her town in the department/state of Totonicapan. Her goals are to enlarge the business and offer new designs. Her second Kiva loan will enable her to buy more traditional skirts/” Cortes”, blouses/”huipiles", belts/”fajas”, sweaters, and rhinestones. (In the past ten years, sparkly rhinestones or “Austrian” have embellished the “huipiles”.)

Olimpia is married to a school teacher and the couple have three children who are over the age of twenty-four. All of them have their professions and study at the university level. Olimpia and her husband are quite proud of them! Olimpia shares that she only has a second-grade education.

Seven Maya K’iche women elected Olimpia to be the Secretary of their Friendship Bridge Trust Bank “Jehová Proveera”. They live in the department/state of Totonicapan. They sell natural medicines, regional snack foods, textiles, shoes, and paper goods. Others sew tee shirts or work at glass printing presses.

They participate in the “Microcredit Plus” program of loans, monthly educational training (business, family, women, health), and bi-monthly health care services (exams, consults, family planning).

Thank you!