It started with a small table, a mirror, and a dining chair.
From those modest beginnings, a successful beauty business bloomed. Elizabeth, a hair stylist living in San José, Costa Rica, now runs her own business where she uses premium products to treat clients in her home. It’s a job — and responsibility – that brings her much joy.
“I love beauty. I really enjoy transforming people, making them happy. I love it when clients leave satisfied with my work.”
After emigrating to Costa Rica from Nicaragua in 2011, Elizabeth needed a way to earn more money. The cost of living in her new country was higher than her family was accustomed to, and she knew she needed to work to support them — and to get the best hair treatments available to attract new clients. Unfortunately, high demand drove prices up, and those premium products were inaccessible.
Until the Kiva community stepped up. With the help of 14 Kiva lenders, Elizabeth’s USD$875 loan was funded. With that support, she was able to level up her business and purchase the latest in hair care, like dyes, keratin, and a treatment that reconstructs and straightens hair, called nanoplasty.
New opportunities — and obstacles
Elizabeth came to Costa Rica for one reason: her daughter’s future. Like many parents, she wanted to ensure her daughter had access to every opportunity. Unfortunately, Nicaragua was not a place where that was possible.
“My daughter was denied the chance to study back in Nicaragua. So I came to pursue a future for my daughter… because I knew that in this country, young people are given opportunities to study.”
And while her daughter has been able to get an education, there have been plenty of difficulties, including harassment. Elizabeth, her husband, and her daughter experienced racism, their accents mocked by locals.
Elizabeth’s method of silencing them? To work even harder. “We overcome that because we Nicaraguans are good workers, we are intelligent… we love to get ahead.” It’s a powerful message to send to her daughter, who had to leave her whole life behind — her house, her friends, and the rest of her family — to move forward.
The cost of living was also an adjustment for the trio. “Life here is very difficult. The truth is that if everyone in the family doesn’t work, we can’t get ahead. So I do my bit to help with household expenses.”
A welcome breakthrough
Elizabeth knew she wanted to grow her business to build the future she dreamed of, but she experienced another roadblock: she couldn’t afford the initial expenses of expanding her business. The cost of emigrating to Costa Rica had been high, and now the family was in a new country without a way to access credit.
Thankfully, Elizabeth heard about Kiva Lending Partner MiCrédito through a friend and applied for a loan to cover the costs of the expensive salon treatments she knew would bring clients in.
After the difficulties she and her family had experienced since moving, the easy application process was a welcome change — getting approved was almost unbelievable.
“Never would I have thought that I was going to get a loan here in this country… I believe that I would never have been able to obtain a loan from any financial institutions, which have a lot of requirements.”
Elizabeth is grateful for the support when her family needed it. “They have supported us immigrants. They have opened doors to allow us to get ahead in this country by starting and owning our own businesses — because we Nicaraguans are hardworking, and we enjoy work. We like to earn an honest living.”
“Women are the strongest people in the world”
With this loan, Elizabeth was able to add to her credit record and gain confidence — confidence she’ll surely pass on to her daughter. “As a female head of household, I feel empowered, because this is the message today… that women are the strongest people in the world… we have power and we have a place in the world.”
Many women experience a confidence gap compared to men, which often has an impact on their finances. Without confidence, taking financial action can feel daunting — and only 28% of women feel empowered to do so. That has a real impact on their lives: it can lead to increased debt, inadequate emergency funds, and even poor mental health.
A 60 Decibels study found that 86% of surveyed women served by Kiva Lending Partners experienced a boost in confidence, and 67% noted an improvement in independent financial decision-making. Elizabeth is one of those women. “My self-confidence has changed a lot, because I feel more sure of myself. I feel that I can succeed. I feel that from today onwards there won’t be any obstacles in the way.”
A bright future ahead
As Elizabeth expected, her expanded services, like keratin and nanoplasty treatments, have drawn more clients. But she’s not done — she hopes to one day own a separate, fully-equipped salon, complete with a hair washing station “because I know that my clients deserve it.” For now, she celebrates the growth she’s already achieved.
“At the beginning when I came to this country, I started with a small table and a mirror with a dining room chair… My business has grown so much that I feel very proud.”
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