Monday, February 9, 2009

9 febrero 2009

San Cristobal:

hi everyone, here is a photo of me with the women from the bank (and one husband) and ana cecilia on the right in the front row.

yesterday, sunday Feb 8, was their Dia de Cobrar. each month, they all come and pay their loans, and new applications for loans are received. they also had their first workshop on starting the savings program - ahorros. Patricio, the man who helped me with the training for the bank in 2007, is giving a total of 4 workshops on the savings program. the training was so successful in the past by transforming the women from insecurity to professionalism. i am sure these workshops on the savings program will do the same.

i am also hoping to help them find better markets for their goods. here in ecuador there is a very weak system for campesinos to sell their wares - both agricultural products and crafts. i am hoping they can hire one of their own to do the research and make the contacts so as to create a more fruitful network - a prometadora, as they call them here. my driving philosophy has been that i can make suggestions, but i can't do it for them; they certainly have proved that they are more than capable of doing it for themselves.

but i couldn't do it without help. the donated money i took with me will help pay for the workshops and maybe the salary of a new prometadora for a little while, if that works out...

look for more posting with news of Casa Maria Amor...

love ya all, carolyn

3 comments:

  1. I would like to see some of these crafts. Do the crafters have a computer and a simple blogger blog? I am the market!

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  2. This is a great way for you to communicate. You sound very much at home and I am happy for you and grateful for the good work you are doing.

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  3. Carolyn - Marta and I talked about you at the Sounding Joy! Lincoln event this past Mon night; I am so impressed with your blogging skills! It's great knowing what you are involved with there.

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