Shakila, FINCA Afghanistan FINCA Afghanistan client Shakila lives with her husband, two married sons and a daughter in the village of Bekrabad, in western Herat in Afghanistan. Like many Afghan families, they had fled to Iran in the 1990s to escape the dangers of life under the Taliban, but returned home several years ago. To help make ends meet, Shakila and her husband started a grocery store, but they struggled to pay for rent and daily expenses. In 2007, Shakila learned about FINCA through one of FINCA’s Village Bank associates. She soon became a FINCA client and has been using FINCA loans ever since to invest in improving the family grocery business, which has helped make the store very successful. Last January, she became the President of FINCA’s Khorshed A solidarity group. Shakila is using her current loan to expand the variety of products for sale in her store and to enlarge it. “I am very happy to be a part of FINCA. I am now saving money and am confident that I will achieve my goals,” says Shakila.

Shakila, FINCA Afghanistan

FINCA Afghanistan client Shakila lives with her husband, two married sons and a daughter in the village of Bekrabad, in western Herat in Afghanistan. Like many Afghan families, they had fled to Iran in the 1990s to escape the dangers of life under the Taliban, but returned home several years ago. To help make ends meet, Shakila and her husband started a grocery store, but they struggled to pay for rent and daily expenses.

In 2007, Shakila learned about FINCA through one of FINCA’s Village Bank associates. She soon became a FINCA client and has been using FINCA loans ever since to invest in improving the family grocery business, which has helped make the store very successful. Last January, she became the President of FINCA’s Khorshed A solidarity group. Shakila is using her current loan to expand the variety of products for sale in her store and to enlarge it. “I am very happy to be a part of FINCA. I am now saving money and am confident that I will achieve my goals,” says Shakila.

Bwalya Chanda, FINCA Zambia After Bwalya Chanda’s parents died when she was a child, she and her two sisters moved in with their grandparents. Bwalya soon had to drop out of school because her grandparents could not afford the fees. Instead of finishing school, Bwalya has grown up working to support the family of five. Today, she is their sole provider. Years ago, in exchange for help running her market stall, Bwalya’s cousin taught her sewing and tailoring. Bwalya acquired invaluable business skills while learning to make and repair women’s clothing. Eventually, Bwalya decided to strike out on her own to support her family. With an old sewing machine and a small amount of capital she had saved, Bwalya set up her own boutique. Her striking designs attracted many women to her shop, so she was soon earning enough money to feed her family. One day, a friend told Bwalya about FINCA, and she saw the possibilities for doing still more to improve the family’s rudimentary living standards. Bwalya joined FINCA’s Signs and Wonders Village Bank and received her first loan of $80 earlier this year. “I was very happy because the loan allowed me to buy more supplies that are helping my business,” she said. Bwalya is confident that she can keep expanding her business with future loans. She wants to save some of her profits to buy another sewing machine. Bwalya is proud of her success, which is making life better every day for her family.

Bwalya Chanda, FINCA Zambia

After Bwalya Chanda’s parents died when she was a child, she and her two sisters moved in with their grandparents. Bwalya soon had to drop out of school because her grandparents could not afford the fees.

Instead of finishing school, Bwalya has grown up working to support the family of five. Today, she is their sole provider.

Years ago, in exchange for help running her market stall, Bwalya’s cousin taught her sewing and tailoring. Bwalya acquired invaluable business skills while learning to make and repair women’s clothing.

Eventually, Bwalya decided to strike out on her own to support her family. With an old sewing machine and a small amount of capital she had saved, Bwalya set up her own boutique. Her striking designs attracted many women to her shop, so she was soon earning enough money to feed her family. One day, a friend told Bwalya about FINCA, and she saw the possibilities for doing still more to improve the family’s rudimentary living standards.

Bwalya joined FINCA’s Signs and Wonders Village Bank and received her first loan of $80 earlier this year. “I was very happy because the loan allowed me to buy more supplies that are helping my business,” she said. Bwalya is confident that she can keep expanding her business with future loans. She wants to save some of her profits to buy another sewing machine. Bwalya is proud of her success, which is making life better every day for her family.

Rosena Lafleur, FINCA Haiti Since her earliest days, Rosena Lafleur has faced extraordinary challenges with dignity and hope. Rosena grew up in poverty and never learned to read or write. She dropped out of school at age ten because her parents could not afford the school fees and her father wanted her to work to help support the family. Rosena’s mother taught her how to run a small business and she started selling fish on the street. Today, Rosena sells a variety of drinks in front of the hospital on weekdays and on the beach on weekends. When Rosena was still a teenager, her father forced her to have a relationship with an older man who was “generous” with him. After Rosena became pregnant, the man left to go live in the neighboring Dominican Republic. Some years later, she fell in love with a young man from the neighborhood and now lives with him in a civil union. Today, she is a happy mother of three children: two girls and a boy who are 6 years, 3 years and 8 months old. The two eldest are already in school. “I will do my best to ensure they get more knowledge than me and—if God gives me life—I want them all to finish school. I want another standard of life for my children. Life is too difficult for illiterate people.” Recently, a friend invited Rosena to join the FINCA Lavi Miyo (“Better Life”) Village Banking group. With her first loan of $200, Rosena increased the quantity of beverages she purchases for resale and, because of her larger order, was allowed to buy them at a discounted price. “I think that my business will increase rapidly and it will be easier for me to reach my goals. I say thank you to FINCA!”

Rosena Lafleur, FINCA Haiti

Since her earliest days, Rosena Lafleur has faced extraordinary challenges with dignity and hope. Rosena grew up in poverty and never learned to read or write. She dropped out of school at age ten because her parents could not afford the school fees and her father wanted her to work to help support the family. 
Rosena’s mother taught her how to run a small business and she started selling fish on the street. Today, Rosena sells a variety of drinks in front of the hospital on weekdays and on the beach on weekends.

When Rosena was still a teenager, her father forced her to have a relationship with an older man who was “generous” with him. After Rosena became pregnant, the man left to go live in the neighboring Dominican Republic.

Some years later, she fell in love with a young man from the neighborhood and now lives with him in a civil union. Today, she is a happy mother of three children: two girls and a boy who are 6 years, 3 years and 8 months old. The two eldest are already in school. “I will do my best to ensure they get more knowledge than me and—if God gives me life—I want them all to finish school. I want another standard of life for my children. Life is too difficult for illiterate people.”

Recently, a friend invited Rosena to join the FINCA Lavi Miyo (“Better Life”) Village Banking group. With her first loan of $200, Rosena increased the quantity of beverages she purchases for resale and, because of her larger order, was allowed to buy them at a discounted price. “I think that my business will increase rapidly and it will be easier for me to reach my goals. I say thank you to FINCA!”

Don’t miss FINCA supporter and advocate Zoe Saldana’s “Shining Stars” feature in InStyle’s December Issue!

Meet Maria Rodriguez - FINCA El Salvador client

María Trinidad Rodríguez Pillam - FINCA El Salvador client - lives in a leaky shack made of corrugated tin with her common law husband and their six children—ages 20, 16, 12, 10, 8 and 4—in a small village in the township of Sonsonate in El Salvador. For many years, to supplement the meager income her husband earns as a day laborer for farmers in the area, María has risen early each day to grind corn and make hundreds of tortillas, which she sells in the market in Sonsonate.

Before María became a FINCA client, she made very little money from her hard work, because she could not afford to purchase bulk quantities of corn, so she had to pay a premium for buying a small supply every day. Then, about six months ago, María heard about FINCA from a friend and she joined the Buen Pastor (“Good Shepherd”) Village Banking group in Sonsonate. She has used her first loans of $175 to buy corn in quintales (100-kilogram sacks), enabling her to greatly increase her profit margins on the sale of her tortillas. As a result, María has been able to provide her children with better, more nutritious food and keep them in school.

In a letter María dictated to her 16-year old daughter Jessica, María says, “I thank God and FINCA for the loans I have been granted through the Buen Pastor Village Banking group. I am improving my businesses and ensuring that my children can get ahead by going to school. I can neither read nor write, so I want them to learn and, when they grow up, to remember me and the efforts I made for them.”

María’s letter concludes, “As a result of our eating better, we get sick less. That’s all I have to say: thank you for helping us, and may God bless everyone who works at FINCA!”