Last December the Gobbi Family of five traveled to Guatemala for a fun-filled 2 weeks of vacation time. The family, long-time supporters of Kiva, decided they would include some time in their journey to do something extra special. Before departing, the Gobbi Family logged on from their home in San Francisco and made a loan to a group of three women in Guatemala! The loan was used to purchase wholesale clothing for the women-run business. This loan was funded by 34 other Kiva lenders and is currently being repaid through our Field Partner, FAPE.
Father Greg Gobbi contacted our Field Partner, FAPE, and arrangements were made for the family to meet the 3 women they had helped. With some Spanish help from her father, the oldest daughter Marguerite, recited a message to the borrowers at their clothing store. (Watch their video to see this amazing moment for yourself!) The family also purchased a few items from the store and sent them to friends to encourage them to make a Kiva loan!
Although the language barrier was a challenge, the family was honored to meet the women they had loaned to. "Kiva provides this very emotional direct emotional connection," Greg Gobbi said. The experience proved to be a wonderful lesson in community for the family. They were pleased with the willingness and enthusiasm of the FAPE employees to help them make the connection to the entrepreneurs.
Kiva would like to thank the Gobbi Family as well as FAPE for allowing this full-circle opportunity to take place. This is a real-life example of the interconnectedness that Kiva creates through microlending! Be a part of the community by making a loan to an entrepreneur today!
