Gender Equality Nicaragua Project #12973

Economic Empowerment for 200 Women in Nicaragua

by Self-Help International

Project Report | Jul 5, 2017
Just a Little Sparkle for a Brighter Future

By Yolanda Fletes | Micro-Credit Program Officer

Gema smiling for her photo at the training center

Sisters Gema, 24, and Cristina, 27, are two of the twenty-five women who live in Ochomogo, Rivas, Nicaragua and are currently participating in Self-Help's micro-credit program. They began their journey with Self-Help two years ago when they completed all the training sessions to join our micro-credit program. Each woman then qualified to receive a loan of $50 (USD). The sisters pooled their resources and purchased 35 pieces of jewelry and now operate a quite profitable jewelry business!

Gema or Cristina travels to Managua to buy the jewelry, which they then sell in their local community. They buy and sell women’s and men’s necklaces, bracelets, wristwatches, rings, and they also sell hair accessories for women and girls in different colors, sizes and designs. All of the products are made using steel or plastic materials. They prefer to buy in bulk because they get lower prices per piece that way, and only one of the sisters travels at a time to keep the transportation expenses low.

The cost per piece varied from $1 to $4 each based on the size, style and material. After factoring in all of the costs, they set the sale price based on the quality of the product and customer demand, usually $7.30 - $8.30 per piece. Even after factoring in all expenses associated with their business and repaying their initial loans, the two women earned a net profit of $116 USD from the initial loan. This margin of profit motivated them to continue the business, and they applied for two more loans from Self-Help. By the time they applied for their third loan of $100 each, they were well known in their community and many were requesting and purchasing their products. They hope to one day sell enough of their jewelry that everyone in their community would be wearing their products.

Cristina is no stranger to hard work and is creative in finding ways to make ends meet. Until she can earn a living selling jewelry full time, Cristina is working other jobs to cover additional family expenses. Her work as customer service representative has also provided her with the opportunity to sell her jewelry to her coworkers. Sometimes she offers the jewelry to them on credit, allowing them to pay her back later once they receive their paychecks. She also sells Nicaraguan fast food on the weekends.

The community of Rivas is about 366 kms (roughly 227 miles) from our main office in San Carlos, Rio San Juan. In order to meet with the micro-credit groups there, I take two buses, two taxis, and walk the rest of the way to reach the homes of the participants. The home visits are necessary in order to supervise various projects, and provide new training and skill development. It's quite the trek for me, but it's worth it when I see how hard they are working and that they are putting the skills that I have taught them into action. These women need our help, and it's gratifying to see the changes in their lives each time I visit.

While Cristina is busy at work, Gema is studying Psychology at the University of Rivas. She is in her last year and hopes to use the profits from her jewelry business to pay her education fees. She dreams of becoming a business professional who will expand her business beyond her community in order to improve her quality of life. Cristina also dreams of expanding her business in the future, and knows that she will have to work hard to improve her business in order to achieve her goals.

Though their business is good, the sisters continue to live in their mother’s house along with their grandparents and two nephews (7 and 9 years old) and use their income to help financially support the rest of their family. Their older sister traveled to Costa Rica in search of work, but is not able to send enough money to cover her children’s expenses, so Gema and Cristina contribute financially and care for their nephews, so that they too can receive an education and have more opportunities.

They told me, “We are very grateful to Self-Help International and the micro-credit program for giving us the chance to participate in the program, and for supporting us with low interest-rate loans. We want to thank you for the training sessions on business management and much more.”

They said that with the help of God and the Self-Help Micro-Credit Program, they are able to handle their business and maintain self-sufficiency. As of today, they no longer need loans from Self-Help to support their businesses. They are now self-financing.

They hope that other women have the same opportunity that they had to become members of the program. “We want to thank the Self-Help staff and donors for supporting us and for helping the women of Nicaragua to become fighters and entrepreneurs.”

Mark your calendar! GlobalGiving is having a GG Rewards Bonus Day on Wednesday, July 12th, beginning at 8AM CST/ 9 AM EST. The funds are limited, so donate as early as possible to ensure your gift is matched! Increase your impact so that more women like Cristina and Gema can acquire important skills and the training they need to succeed in their businesses!

Cristina posing for her photo for her group

Pinata-making skills training session in Ochomogo

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Mar 24, 2017
Commuting to Success

By Yolanda Fletes | Micro-Credit Program Officer

Adriana with her new and improved oven

I am writing to you today about Adriana because she is an outstanding example of how determination and hard work paired with resources and education can help a woman not only provide for her own family, but create employment for other community members to care for their families as well!

At 49-years-old, she and her husband live in the community of Las Azucenas, a rural community near the Self-Help International office, along with their five adult children, their spouses, and one grandchild, all of whom are dependent on her.

Adriana wanted to stay active in her community, and desired work to improve her life. She began making tacos, enchiladas, cheese, and natural juices, to sell along with other goods such as sodas. She sold her products for several months in her local community, and then began to wonder whether she could reach a larger consumer population - and sell more of her products - if she began utilizing the public transportation system to make her sales. Adriana decided she would give it a try—she woke up earlier than usual to prepare her products, and then each morning, around 10:00am, she would reach the bus that traveled from her community, Las Azucenas, to the Nicaraguan and Costa Rican border, to sell her items. She realized the potential she could have with her businesses if she expanded, so she decided she would sell a larger variety and range of products, allowing her customers to have more food choices for their commutes. Each day she said she would finish working by 4:00 pm, and would feel proud and happy with her active life and work that was consistent and full-time.

Several months later, Adriana heard of a micro-credit program that supported women in her community. Wanting to learn more about this program, she came to me and I told her more about how we offer business training and small business loans to help women like her expand their enterprises. After hearing her ambition to create more business, I knew she was just the type of hardworker we like to partner wish and could gain a lot by starting our training. She was eager to attend as many sessions as she could about our program because after joining, Adriana was learning in other subjects as well, such as basic accounting, hygiene, and marketing. She learned how to efficiently evaluate herself and her business, while learning new skills in how to better manage it. Adriana demonstrated her knowledge of these program areas by applying them to her business; for example, she now properly serves her products in a hygienic way by utilizing gloves while serving and wearing an apron and net to cover herself. In addition, she has used the financial skills she has acquired through the program and put it to use.

She has been using her loans to purchase metal sheets to repair her kitchen roof. Her goal is to continue working towards purchasing other materials to improve her kitchen since she wants to upgrade it from a wooden kitchen to a concrete kitchen. Adriana has also expanded her products after using a loan from our program to build herself a more efficient, environmentally friendly oven. With her improved oven, she now bakes bread, pizza, and cakes, in addition to her previous products.

Determined is an understatement with Adriana. Aside from taking up all of the trainings she could to improve her work, she also attended agricultural trainings with our Quality Protein Maize (QPM) program at our center so that she could improve the health of her family. When I visited her home, I was surprised by the several fruits and vegetables she successfully has growing in her backyard, making her land useful and productive. Among her garden, were zucchini, squash, cinnamon, corn, and oranges trees.

Adriana told me during the interview,“I am so exciting with my business, because it is going well, so well, that now I am no able to cover all my clients needs and more. I made the decision to hire one young girl to help me sell my products in our community or on the bus, and I pay her a percentage from the sales made (usually around 20%). For example, if she sells $41.38 (USD) worth of products daily, $8.28 for assisting me in my business. I thank God for I am doing well. My business is growing very fast, so I am trying to help another person grow her business and teach her the skills she needs so she can have her own someday.”

Helping women like Adriana through programs similar to the Micro-Credit Program and the QPM program, not only empowers them to improve their lives, but also helps them better their communities.

When I asked her if she wanted to say anything to the individuals who supported her loans, she responded, “Thank you very much Self-Help International, the Micro – Credit Program and all the people of good heart and good will that are always willing to help the woman from this country, especially us from the rural communities that are in need the most.” She added, “There are so many other women like me that need help with loans, training, and support. I am so happy that there is a program dedicated to doing just that.”

Thank you for your continued support of empowering hundreds of women like Adriana. We're working hard to expand to connect more women with the training and resources they need to create economic opportunities in their communities to help families not only survive, but thrive.

Adriana standing in her garden at her home

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Dec 29, 2016
The Resources & Tools to Transform Meilly's Life

By Yolanda Fletes | Micro-Credit Officer

Meilly's note thanking donors

I am proud to share that we welcomed 8 more women entreprenuers into the micro-credit training program this month! Meilly, age 24, is one of the youngest women in the group has decided to start a new enterprise rearing pigs. When I first met her, she was already doing some basic trading, selling cosmetics from brands such as Avon, Zermat, and Arabela, but wanted to do more. She and her husband live in Las Azucenas in her mother-in-law's home, and she came to Self-Help for guidance on how to expand or diversify her business to earn additional income so that she and her husband can afford a home of their own

After completing the training course, Meilly used her first loan of 1,500 Cordobas (about $50 USD) to build a pig shelter, where she will raise pigs to sell in the market. Meilly and I worked together to do the math and determine the costs and best use of her budget. She started by purchasing 25 concrete stones, mesh material to wrap around the wood, sand, and 1 bag of cement for a strong foundation. That allowed her to build a 4 x 4 sq. meter pig pen that will fit her first two pigs. I could tell that Meilly is on the right path when she pointed out that instead of buying the roofing materials and feeding tray, she re-purpose items she already has in her home.

That plan allowed Meilly to use the remainder of her loan to purchase a two-month old piglet for 600 Córdobas. She expects to be able to sell it within 6 months for 5,000 Córdobas, which will easily allow her to repay the initial loan, expand the operation, and support family expenses.

In total, Meilly said that the micro-loan covered about half of her start-up costs, and personal savings and family support covered the rest. “I spent 2,860 Cordoba’s ($98.96 USD) in all of this," she said, "and the rest of the supplies I needed to finish the shelter were provided thanks to the support of the rest of the members of my family and especially my mother who supported me with the nails, and wood from the farm, and my husband with the labor because, I didn’t have pay to anybody else to build it.”

That level of family support and commitment of personal savings is critical to getting a new businesswoman started on the right path. Meilly shared that, “Although I received less money of what was need it to finish the shelter, I am really thankful and happy to be part of the micro-credit program, because I was motivated and encouraged by Yolanda to start my own business, and I would never have thought it was possible before. Now that I have the resources and tools, all I need to do is work hard to keep my life ahead.”

Meilly’s own determination, coupled with support from her family and Self-Help, is allowing her to pursue her dreams. She states excitedly, “I also am thankful to the organization for all the training I received. They helped me think of how to work to start my own business to obtain other forms of income besides the other ways I currently try to earn. My next goal is to expand the pig shelter to host more than two pigs. This way, I can better support my husband with the expenses we have of building our own small home. Now, I feel inspired and with hope of improving my life.”

You can give the gift of inspiration and hope to a woman like Meilly! Donate now to make your tax-deductible gift in 2016!

Pig pen built by Meilly & her family

Recycled items used to reduce costs

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