Borrower Profile: Bianca Urbina, Borrower of Prodesa

Bianca’s bright pink house is exemplary of the style of homes in the colorful neighborhood of Santa Clara, a community of Juigalpa. She and her seven children, her aunt, and two grandchildren share the home built from concrete with several rooms and running water. Only a short time ago, however, Bianca and her family were sharing a single room made from scraps of plastic and zinc and staying dry was a constant challenge. She longed for a house where she wouldn’t get wet, but she needed help.
Neighbors told her how she could go to Prodesa, a microfinance institution, and they would help her by providing a construction loan. Prodesa is a relatively new NICA Fund partner with a specific focus on lending for housing construction and improvement. Bianca had never borrowed money before but was surprised by how easy the process was. She met with a builder to get an idea of how much she would need, then she met with a representative from Prodesa. A loan promoter from Prodesa helped her fill out the forms and she received her first loan for $240. She has since paid off that loan and two others, and is now using her fourth loan to continue the expansion plans on her home.
Bianca is candid that she is able to make her payments working at a restaurant earning $30 a week. “Poor people go further because of programs like the NICA Fund,” she claims. “I live better now. It’s safer, and I don’t get wet.”