The Holstee Team is proud to declare the latest microloans on Kiva.org! This time we are able to support Lamin Tholley from Makeni, Sierra Leone, and the Fuente de Paz Group from El Seybo, Dominican Republic. Lamin Tholley: Here's a bit of background information of Lamin from his Kiva page: "Lamin is a trader dealing in used clothing at the main market in Makeni City. He is married to a trader and has two children in high school. He has eight years of business experience. He intends to increase his stock and to buy wholesale from Guinea and Freetown."

We selected Lamin because he is recycling clothes and we were impressed by the intentness he is willing to grow his business. He is really hard working, so he'll finally be able to assure further education for his children and to fulfill his dream of purchasing a piece of land for his family. The Fuente de Paz Group: The Fuente de Paz Group - which means "Source of Peace" - is located in the rural areas surrounding El Seybo where running water and electricity are not available most of the time. The group consists of 11 female entrepreneurs, all of them selling clothes and jewelry.

"Batista is the coordinator of the group, and her story is not unlike others in her group, and of Esperanza's Haitian and Dominican clients overall, many of whom have recently emigrated to the Dominican Republic from Haiti. Batista is excited to be taking her seventh loan with Esperanza, after having successfully repaid her previous loans which were used to grow her business. She plans to use this loan to invest in her clothes selling business by purchasing skirts, blouses, and pants in the main market at Santo Domingo and then reselling them in her community. She will use the profits to relocate her business to an area where there is more traffic, and also to get her legal documents in order so that she can go to the university." We totally love to support the women of the Fuente de Paz Group with their dreams, and that through Kiva, we can enable them to go to university... because education plays an important role for a sustainable development and lifestyle.

Holstee is proud to announce our most recent microloans on Kiva.org! We have recently lent to the ‘Safina Namugerwa Group’, located in Kayunga, Uganda as well as the ‘Fatuma Nakibuuka's Group’ from Lugazi, Uganda. For this round we have selected to lend to ‘lending groups’ rather than individuals. We were impressed with the concept of that embraces the ideals of a community to help their fellow entrepreneurs meet their payments, and grow their businesses. The idea of helping fellow entrepreneurs, reminds us of our friends at the Sandbox Network, a network of extraordinary entrepreneurs across the globe. As entrepreneurs ourselves, Mike and I realize how valuable it is to have a support network who offer encouragement and inspiration and we hope these lending groups offer the same level of motivation for each of the individuals within it. Safina Namugerwa Group: Here is some information on the ‘Safina Namugerwa Group’ from Kiva:

Namugerwa Safina is the leader of Bunawona group in Kayunga. She is a businesswoman with a business selling used clothes at daily markets in and around Kayunga and Jinja. She sells ladies gomesi (the official dress for women in Uganda), bitenge (a dress using a particular fabric) and other casual dresses plus children’s wear. She has been obtaining loans for eleven years and has been able to pay school fees for her children all this while as she boosts her clothing business with more capital. She needs a new loan to help with buying more clothes for sale as well as paying school fees for her children.

Fatuma Nakibuuka's Group: Here is some information on the ‘Fatuma Nakibuuka's Group’ from Kiva:

Nakibuuka Fatuma has been able to pay back her previous loan on time because she was able to put it to good use once she received it. She is a businesswoman with a tailoring business where she makes dresses, skirts, blouses as well as mending those that are already made. She is married with three children and is also caring for two relatives with full responsibility for their welfare. Fatuma’s weekly income has increased over time, though her business booms mostly during the festive seasons when everyone is in the mood for buying new clothes. She is also a farmer with plantations and cows that all bring in an income. She needs a loan to be able to buy more clothing materials for her tailoring business.

We will be sure to keep you posted with any updates to these entrepreneurs and with our microlending practices!