Merry Christmas!

Love Maureen, Rick and Sydney

Christmas 2012

Christmas is a time of giving. We are continuing our tradition started last year by spending the money that we normally would have spent on cards and

stamps on helping people in parts of the world that we have visited. We hope
you enjoy their stories and appreciate the difference just a few dollars has made to their lives. Now that truly is a much merrier Christmas!

PS If you want to help out, please go to Kiva.org and lend a few dollars. We
have been doing it for several years and love getting messages from them and helping them improve their lives.

Saturnina
PUCALLPA, Peru Food | Food Production/Sales

Saturnina is 41 years old. She is a good, honest and kind woman. She is single and has 3 grown children. All of them live in the home she was able to buy with the help of her ex. Saturnina's main activity is making stews and various food. She has a great gift and is known as one of the best cooks in her area. That is why her modest restaurant is one of the busiest in the area. Her customers go to her every day to try the delicious meals she prepares with so much hard work and affection. Right now, the locale where she works is rented, but she hopes to have her own establishment soon. She has been doing this activity for 4 years with the help of her daughter and another woman. She complements her activity by selling different brands, prices and sizes of soft drinks. She is grateful to all of the people who have made her loan possible so she can continue with her goals and growth she has planned. She is also very determined to make her payments on time once again like she did with the previous loans. She really likes being a client of the institution since they offer her all of the necessary support to get ahead. With the $1,575 she has asked for, she will buy ingredients she uses daily to prepare the food, since the demand for her cooking has increased. She will also buy cooking utensils such as pots, plates and more.

Paz Y Bien Group

Huaycan, Peru Food Production/Sales

This is Paz y Bien Group, made up of eight members in their tenth cycle who make a living in a variety of business activities. This is the case of Eduardo, one of the members. He's 24 years old and single, and he presides over the board of directors. Three years ago Eduardo started his own business selling ceviche in a stall, and he has loyal customers. His dream is to expand his business more and be able to better serve his customers. He requested the loan to buy an industrial stove with two burners and fish. Eduardo's very happy about this loan and thanks the Kiva lenders. Eduardo's the third from the right in the back, wearing a green polo shirt.

Ramona Guadalupe
Guayaquil (Isla), Ecuador Retail | General Store

Ramona lives in the semi-urban area around the city of Guyaquil called Guasmo. She is 57 years old, single, and has two grown, independent children. As a result of her separation from her ex-husband, Ramona decided to look for a job, but since nobody would give her the opportunity to work for a business she gathered all of the money she had and opened her own general store. She currently works in the store every day from 8 in the morning until 10 at night. With this loan, she will buy rice, sugar, flour, display cases, and other items to fix up the shop. Her goal is to have a mini-market that is recognized in the city for serving all of its customers' needs

Mara
Ibarra, Ecuador Retail

Maria is highly admired because of her Christian values instilled in her by her parents. Honesty and respect for work, are qualities that define her well. She is an example for her five children. Maria is 61 years old and works with the same enthusiasm and joy as she had when she started many years ago. It is these attitudes and entrepreneurial feelings that have made Maria an example for her entire community. Maria has been working with Fodemi for 12 years and she is asking for this loan to buy merchandise such as blankets, sheets, eiderdowns, and mens, womens, and childrens clothing, etc. She sells from her home and works every day to be able to help her household finances. Maria wants to buy herself a shop in the Ibarra city center so that she can sell merchandise from there. She is certain that her work and effort will allow her to do this, especially because her children encourage and help her make her dream a reality.