 ACRG borrower Ms. Jimena Gamboa at her shopMs. Jimena Gamboa was reluctant join Asociacion Costa Rica Grameen (ACRG) to take microcredit fearing that she may not be able to repay her loan. However, her confidence to join grew after she attended a meeting of ten borrowers of ACRG. She joined ACRG and following her group's recognition received her first loan of US$ 200.
Utilizing the loan Ms. Gamboa started a stationary shop selling books, pencils, pens, stamps, art paper and other items for school children. Her shop became very successful. She has plans to take larger loans to buy a cow. She plans to graze the cow on the abandoned land next to her home. As her economic condition is improving, Ms. Gamboa is looking forward to providing a better life and more opportunities for her two children.
Report by : Farid Uddin
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 Banrural Grameen borrower Ms. Petrona Buch Cotzal at her shopPetrona Buch Cotzal is the lone bread earner of her family of four. Her father was ill and bedridden. She used to purchase traditional Guatemalan clothes from the market and ferry them around her locality for selling. She had a very little capital, which constrained her to buy a small quantity of cloth at a high price. This contributed a lesser profit margin and her subsistence level was continuing.
She was 32 in 2006 when she came to know about Grameen Guatemala and its financial and social development services for the poor. She joined Grameen Guatemala on April 06, 2006 and received her first loan on April 11, 2006.
With the first loan she started purchasing higher quantities of clothes from the market with better bargaining than before. This increased the profit margin of her business. Within five months of joining Grameen she rented a place for her business, which helped her to retain regular customers. After six months she approached Grameen for a supplementary loan of US$100 and started a handicraft business with it. At present she is a third-term loanee and is paying bi-weekly installments of US$18. After joining Grameen her living standard started improving. Now her family is conscious about health, hygiene and sanitation.
With her financial self-sufficiency, she is planning to marry shortly which was a distant dream for her prior to joining Grameen Guatemala.
Grameen Guatemala was set up in 2006 with the financial assistance from Whole Planet Foundation, USA. In 2008 the project merged with Banrural and became known as Banrural Grameen Microfinanza (BGM).
Report by : Alomgir Hossain
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