Kiva Update - Rosalba in Columbia

I recently received an update on one of my Kiva loans that totally made the start of my day.

Remember Rosalba, the daycare teacher in Columbia?  She received her loan amount and has been putting her money to good use.  Check it out:

Reposted email from Kiva...

Rosalba lives with 2 of her children in one of the poorer neighborhoods of Medellin. Her passion for her daycare has guided her during the 15 years she has been doing this. We felt so welcome in her cozy home that houses the daycare 6 days a week and receives about 15 kids ages 1-5.

She showed off the decorations, partially painted walls, organized nooks, teaching materials and spotless albeit humble kitchen. The loan helped her buy teaching materials, materials and containers to better organize the daycare. Organization and decorations are vital for a 10 x 14 foot room housing toddlers!

Rosalba told us about the hardships she faced and challenges in working long hours in a daycare that is regulated by the government. She says, "I do this out of love and care for the children. I could easily work less and only worry about the little money I make, but I do this with love."

After taking care of her family she states, "Everything I earn I invest in the daycare, for the children." When we asked her how she envisioned her daycare in 5 or 10 years she said she wanted to have a bigger space for the daycare since the current living room is too small for active kids. She understands the context and background in which the children come from and wants to provide a healthy environment for them to be safe, healthy and educated.

Without the help of Kiva credit and Interactuar, she would not have been able to get a loan to improve the conditions of the daycare and continue caring for the children as well as she would like. Hearing her compassion for the children and her passion for the daycare made me proud to be part of the Kiva community who is contributing to impacting not just Rosalba but her community, one child at a time.

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And remember, if you've found Rosalba's story inspiring, join Kiva today!

Kiva - May 2014 BONUS!

Oh my, I've suddenly realised that I'm quite a bit behind in sharing my Kiva project the last few months.

Back in May I was pleased to receive a bonus $25 donation sum from the Kiva team, to use as I saw fit.  How cool!  So, I put it to good use here:

Milagro (Columbia)

A loan of $550 helps Milagro to buy a sewing machine, fabric, thread, and sewing accessories.

Milagro, 39, has a business making clothing for men, women and children. She has 17 years of experience. When she was very young, in the year 1997, she learned how to sew and decided to set up a dressmaking workshop so that she could help her husband with the household expenses that he had been in charge of covering. Today, she buys supplies in cash from the dressmaking supply stores, and she sells in part for cash and in part on credit, depending on the type of customer.

Milagro works every day from 8am until 8pm, because she has a lot of goals to achieve, such as buying more sewing machines, and completing the remodel work on her house. However, increasing her production is a great challenge, along with retaining her customers and being able to save. At this time, she is applying for a Kiva loan, the first financing that she has done through Fundacion Mario Santo Domingo. With this loan she will buy a sewing machine, fabric, thread, and accessories so that she can make new designs, increase her productivity, and improve the quality of her final products.

As always, if you find the Kiva project just as awesome and inspiring as I do, you can easily get involved by checking out their website: Kiva.org.