Frequently Ask Questions

Are the loans really interest free?
YES! Mano Amiga’s loans are interest-free.

Do the recipients pay back their loans?
YES! Mano Amiga’s loan repayment rate is over 90%.

Why Are these loans only available to women?
Mano Amiga lends only to women because women face the most limited access to affordable credit. Furthermore, in microlending programs around the world, women have proven to be excellent investments: they have high repayment rates and use their profits to improve their families’ living standards.

What types of businesses do these recipients have?

Mano Amiga recipients have started or expanded a wide range of businesses, from selling handmade crafts, jewelry, embroidered linens, and traditional mole sauces to operating corner stores and florist shops. We have an electrician, several beauticians, and even San Miguel’s only female-owned muffler shop.

-Mano Amiga partners with another respected local nonprofit, Apoyo a Gente Emprendedora, to provide additional training to our loan recipients. 

-During the Covid-19 pandemic, Mano Amiga created an Emergency Relief Fund to support those women hardest hit by the shutdown, and we offered a loan payment moratorium to all recipients.

-Recipients often continue to attend Mano Amiga meetings even after they’ve fully repaid their loans. They value the supportive sisterhood with other small business owners.