Kiva Microfinance

Visits to Kiva borrowers - people who have received microloans financed on the internet through Kiva lenders. Photos taken near the town of Masaya, Nicaragua. The family businesses pictured include a cheese and quesadilla cake vendor at the Masaya market, local family-run tienda (shop), apron-sewing workshop, and a family-run business that churns out tortillas (2000 a day), pork rinds (chicharron) and beans. An interesting look into the lives of several families. © www.uncorneredmarket.com

Audrey and the Girls - Masaya, Nicaragua
Audrey poses with the women of the family in a village outside of Masaya, Nicaragua. Two of the women are Kiva borrowers, meaning that they have received small loans financed through the internet by Kiva lenders. They use the credit to promote the family business of making corn tortillas, pork rinds (chicharron), beans and running a small shop (tienda). Read more about our adventures in Nicaragua. © www.uncorneredmarket.com
Queen of Cakes at the Masaya Market - Nicaragua
Ignacia is a Kiva borrower, meaning that she has a small loan financed through the internet by Kiva lenders. She sells cheese cakes (known locally as quesadillas) and homemade cheese at the main market in Masaya, Nicaragua. She works seven days a week, but she is seeing the rewards of her hard work with increased income. Read more about our adventures in Nicaragua. © www.uncorneredmarket.com
A Proud Shop Owner - Masaya, Nicaragua
Angela is a Kiva borrower, meaning she has a small loan financed through Kiva.org. She uses the credit to buy products in bulk, which helps to improve the margins in her small shop at the front of the house she shares with her family in a village outside Masaya, Nicaragua. Read more about our adventures in Nicaragua. © www.uncorneredmarket.com
Proud of Her Work - Masaya, Nicaragua
Lucrecia is a Kiva borrower, meaning that she has received a small loan financed on the internet through Kiva lenders. She works at home making decorated and embroidered aprons to sell at market. She can churn out an apron in fifteen minutes - it's impressive to watch. Taken in a village outside of Masaya, Nicaragua. Read more about our adventures in Nicaragua. © www.uncorneredmarket.com
Beauty and the Beast - Masaya, Nicaragua
Linda is a Kiva borrower, meaning that she has received a small loan financed on the internet through Kiva lenders. Together with her sister, they have used their loans to expand their family business (tortillas, pork rinds, beans) and a small shop. Linda's specialty seems to be making the pork rinds (chicharron). In this photo she's cleaning out pig bits to use later on in the process. Taken in a village outside of Masaya, Nicaragua. Read: What is Microfinance: A View from the Field © www.uncorneredmarket.com
Fried Food in a Bag - Masaya, Nicaragua
A food vendor selling something fried (likely chicken) in bags to go at the main market in Masaya, Nicaragua. Read more about our adventures in Nicaragua. © www.uncorneredmarket.com
Shy Smile - Masaya, Nicaragua
A beautiful, young girl sits near a tree painted with political slogans in a village outside of Masaya, Nicaragua. Read more about our adventures in Nicaragua. © www.uncorneredmarket.com
Kids Go Shopping - Masaya, Nicaragua
A couple of village kids show up at a tienda (shop) in a village outside of Masaya, Nicaragua. Angela, the woman in the background, runs the shop at the front of her house. She is a Kiva borrower, meaning she has a small loan financed through the internet by Kiva lenders. Read more about our adventures in Nicaragua. © www.uncorneredmarket.com
Big Chair, Small Girl - Masaya, Nicaragua
A young girl hangs out in her shoes with a baby bottle in an oversized chair as her grandmother watches on. Taken outside of Masaya, Nicaragua. Read more about our adventures in Nicaragua. © www.uncorneredmarket.com
Content in Her Chair - Masaya, Nicaragua
Taken outside of Masaya, Nicaragua. Read more about our adventures in Nicaragua. © www.uncorneredmarket.com
Fisheye of a Nicaraguan Family Business
This fisheye shows a family business outside of Masaya, Nicaragua. Three sisters and the parents work together each day to produce corn tortillas (1,000 of them!), pork rinds (chicharron), and beans. One sister also runs a small shop at the front of the house. Read more about our adventures in Nicaragua. © www.uncorneredmarket.com
Expanding the Family Shop - Masaya, Nicaragua
Georgina is a Kiva borrower, meaning that she has a small loan financed through the internet by Kiva lenders. She uses the credit to buy supplies for her shop at bulk prices, allowing her to improve the margins and support her family better. Taken in a village outside of Masaya, Nicaragua. Read more about our adventures in Nicaragua. © www.uncorneredmarket.com
Cooking the Corn - Masaya, Nicaragua
Dried corn needs to be boiled and cooked for a while until it becomes soft enough to grind into a paste to use for tortillas. The family business produces corn tortillas, pork rinds, beans, and runs a small shop. This woman is the sister of a Kiva borrower (microfinance loan) - the whole family business benefits when one person can get a bit of credit. ..Taken in a village near Masaya, Nicaragua. Read: What is Microfinance: A View from the Field © www.uncorneredmarket.com
Boy and Pig Heads - Masaya, Nicaragua
A young boy looks on as three pig heads sit ready to be carved up. The family business makes pork rinds (chicharron), corn tortillas and beans. Read more about our adventures in Nicaragua. © www.uncorneredmarket.com
Three Generations Together - Masaya, Nicaragua
A mother, daughter and granddaughter hang out in the family shop at the front of their house. The woman on the right is a Kiva borrower, meaning she received a small loan financed through the internet by Kiva lenders. She uses her credit to help grow the familiy shop and business. Read more about our adventures in Nicaragua. © www.uncorneredmarket.com
Hearty Laugh - Masaya, Nicaragua
This smily man is the father in a family business outside of Masaya, Nicaragua that produced corn tortillas, pork rinds (chicharron) and beans. Two of his daughters were Kiva borrowers, meaning they had received small loans funded through the internet from Kiva lenders. They used their credit to grow the family business. Read: What is Microfinance: A View from the Field © www.uncorneredmarket.com
Group of Friends - Masaya, Nicaragua
A group of friends come together for the camera in a village outside of Masaya, Nicaragua. Read more about our adventures in Nicaragua. © www.uncorneredmarket.com
Running a Small Shop At the Front of the House - Masaya, Nicaragua
Angela is a Kiva borrower, meaning she has a small loan financed through Kiva.org. She uses her credit to help improve the margins in her small shop at the front of the house she shares with her family in a village outside Masaya, Nicaragua. Read more about our adventures in Nicaragua. © www.uncorneredmarket.com