Entrepreneurs Who Create New Jobs in Their Communities

[Guest]

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[Amy-in-PHX]

I sometimes want to raise the visibility of entrepreneurs who are on the brink of a business expansion, who are planning to provide work for other people in their communities.  It seemed to me worthy of a new topic. 

Here is Beatrice, a mom of 3 kids ages 10 - 22, who has been earning a living by making clothing for just one year.  She got a loan in order to buy two sewing machines and some materials; she plans to hire two people from her community to use the new machines.  She hopes to use the increased profits to diversify - the loan description says "create other areas of the same business."  In addition, she wants to have her own "shelter" for her family.  (The loan page does not say anything about where or with whom they live now.)  http://www.kiva.org/lend/280824

[Amy-in-PHX]

Tsogtbaatar Batsuh, 40, of Ulanbataar, Mongolia.  He is married and has three sons, the eldest of whom is in college, while the younger two are in school at home.  Tsogtbaatar lived in Japan for a few years and began making felt items when he came back to Mongolia five years ago.  His wife helps him in the business, and they export their felt products to Russia.  Of the business, Tsogtbaatar says, "I want to share with my community my business experience which I have gained so far in order make a contribution to the development of my country." He is requesting a loan to purchase a stitching machine and materials for his feltcraft business.  http://www.kiva.org/lend/280673
 

[jennifer]

http://www.kiva.org/lend/281379

Christian Pineda owns United Credit Solutions, a business offering credit consultation for those looking to rehabilitate their credit. He works with people who suffer from poor credit through financial mismanagement or who have been victimized by identity theft. What Christian finds most satisfying is that he helps his clients achieve a higher quality of life. With his tutelage, many of his clients are able to own their own car or home, things they had previously been unable to do.

Christian worked for a credit consulting firm for three years, before deciding to start United Credit Solutions a year ago. With many people still feeling the effects of the recession, United Credit Solutions has grown steadily as it helps more and more people escape financial crisis. Christian and his associates cover an extended territory in what is known in South Texas as “the Valley”.

This loan, through ACCION Texas-Louisiana, allows Christian to hire two additional employees, who will help Union Credit Solutions manage its increasing client volume.

Christian has quickly developed a reputation in South Texas as someone who can help people escape the vicious cycle caused by having poor credit. More than anything, Christian considers himself an educator. Christian, once a victim of poor credit himself, tells his clients how he raised his credit score from 400 and now owns two cars and a house. He says that he provides a real-life example of what his clients can achieve.

Christian is married with three children. Check out his website at http://unitedcreditsolutions.net/services.html.

[Amy-in-PHX]

Name: Teresa Location: Sangani, Central Peruvian Jungle Primary Activity: Embroidering Traditional Skirts Loan Use: Hiring Additional Helpers and Buying Embroidery Threads

Teresa, 36 years old, is an admirable women. It's been four years since she separated from her husband with whom she has a son, four year-old Chen. Currently she and Chen live in their own home located in Sangani, a jungle in central Peru. For eight years she has been a nursery/kindergarten teacher, teaching children under five years old.

Her real passion and hobby is embroidering traditional skirts in a workshop she set up in her house with the help of two women she hired. Customers bring dozens of skirts to the workshop to be embroidered, and Teresa charges 100 nuevos soles per skirt. What she likes most about her work is the demand that exists. "There are only a few of us who do this," Teresa affirms. Her main inconvenience is the lack of working capital, since the main costs for embroidering the skirts are covered by Teresa, who has to invest large quantities of money. In the future, Teresa is planning to buy sewing machines to develop the business.

Teresa is a member of the community bank “Gedeón de los olivos.” this is her third credit with MFP, where she is a respected for her capacity for work. Teresa will use the loan to buy materials needed for her embroidery. She will use around 1500 nuevos soles to buy colored thread along with some silver and gold thread. With the rest of the money, she will hire people who can help her with the embroidery.

[Amy-in-PHX]

Name: Las Manzanas De Peña Group Location: Monte de Pena, Estado de Mexico, Mexico Primary Activity: Food Production Loan Use: Buy equipment for making tortillas, and hire a helper

This group decided to call themselves Las Manzanas de Peña (The Apples of Peña) because it's said they are as sweet as apples and because the community they live in is called Monte de Peña. From there they got the name Las Manzanas de Peña.

Susana Macedonia is the group Treasurer. She is 45 years old, is married and for five years has made handmade tortillas, which she takes to other communities to sell. She is asking for a loan to expand her business by buying some tortilla presses, two large comals (griddles for cooking tortillas) and hiring someone to help her because she cannot fill all her orders alone. With this loan her business will grow, and she will earn more money. For the future Susana is thinking of making improvements to her house.

[Amy-in-PHX]

Name: Liberthe Location: KIMIRONKO KIGALI, Rwanda Primary Activity: Liquor Store/Food Production Loan Use: Buy More Drink and Begin Roasting Meat for Sale

Liberthe is 41 years old and married with five children who are between 18 and 21 years old. Liberthe is commonly known for selling drinks (PRIMUS and MITZIIG,VIN) and she has been in this business for about five years. Liberthe opens her shop from 7am until 9 pm every day.

Liberthe has requested a Kiva loan via Vision Finance Company hoping that she can increase her profits by expanding her business. With the use of this loan, Liberthe will also start roasting meat to sell to her customers. A large number of her customers have requested this. Liberthe hopes that through the expansion of her business, she will start creating some other sources of income as well creating more jobs for the people in her community.

Re "five children who are between 18 and 21 years old," How do you think she did it?  I am guessing she is another African woman who adopted some orphans - or she had a couple of multiple pregnancies.

[Bastet]

This is such a good idea. I'll be keeping an eye on this thread when the credits come in.

[Amy-in-PHX]

I thought this was an interesting photo of the cheese-making process.  Too bad the person with the camera cut off her head.  Here's the loan description from the MFI:

Señora Virginia Suazo Agüero is 53 years old. She lives in the community of Jicaro Galan de Nacaome. Virginia is engaged in the production and sale of cheese. She runs her business in her house. Her children {presumably teens or adults, based on her age} help her in making cheese. She also has 4 more employees.

Her goal is to have greater production and, thus, employ more people. Thanks to her business, she has succeeded in helping her children to get ahead since she had to educate them and provide for them without any help.
http://www.kiva.org/lend/282058

EDIT:  Oops, I missed a paragraph of the loan description.  Here it is:
The loan will be used for the purchase of cow’s milk and firewood. Currently, the demand from her customers has grown and she needs to meet all her orders. She told us that she is very happy since everything is going very well.

[nuc]

also: http://www.kiva.org/lend/282391 (already almost funded)
Interesting note: for loans with this field partner there's quite often the reference to the number of employed people. A good sign, I think.

[Amy-in-PHX]

Battsetseg is 30 years old and lives with her husband and two children in Ulaanbaatar, the capital city of Mongolia. They live in a ger, a traditional Mongolian nomadic tent. Battsetseg is tailor who used to work for different clothes factories as a seemstress. In July 2010, she opened her own tailoring business. At the moment, she rents a small workroom and works alone. She started with one sewing machine. She is planning to extend her business by buying another sewing machine with more capability and employing someone else.

Her husband works as a taxi driver. Mrs.Battsetseg is a self-motivated, hard working woman who dreams of having better living conditions and a successful business. She wants to use the loan as a part payment to buy a $520USD sewing machine with more capability.
http://www.kiva.org/lend/282260