In Rosa’s small town in northern Ecuador, avocados are sometimes called “alligator pears” or “butter fruit”. And although most of the world’s avocados are grown in Mexico, Ecuador is catching up in supplying this in-demand produce to the United States. Rosa, a 64-year-old grandmother, buys avocados in bulk to sell wholesale to restaurants and at street markets. And more recently, she planted her own avocado tree to help her business. She’s accustomed to hard work, having raised multiple children on her own as a single mother. And now, while her adult children do help her out, she must continue to generate her own income to pay for her medical expenses. During the pandemic, her health deteriorated and she barely left the house. And subsequently, her business suffered. Even still, she knew she had to figure out a way to survive, “...I said to myself, 'I have to leave to work so that I can afford the medicine—the pills and tablets that I have to take daily.'” But as a one-woman operation, she needed resources. With a loan from Kiva, Rosa was able to purchase fresh inventory and restart her sales cycle, something she is grateful for. “I felt happy when I found out they were going to give me a loan. I found the interest rate was quite low, and for this, I am thankful, and I am thankful that they trusted me.” Kiva has reached over 4 million women worldwide through 1.6 billion dollars in loans. In fact, 4 out of 5 Kiva loans go to women. Learn more about how Kiva reaches women like Rosa: https://bit.ly/3VNXhvr #genderequality #entrepreneurship #global #women #microfinance
Thank you @Kiva for restoring dreams around the world 🇺🇸
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Avocados no more; I shall forever refer to them as "Alligator Fruit"... 🥑