Thursday, December 21, 2006

Mayan women do the laundry and run businesses.


Micro Loans Help Mayan Women


Last January our directors participated in the selection of women to receive micro-credit loans of 1000 Quetzales, equivalent to $160 CAD. Two hundred women assembled. Ten were chosen by lot to receive loans. The women themselves devised the system of selection. No North American capitalist dog eat dog world here. With great dignity the women accepted the tasks facing them and congratulated the recipients.

The story repeats itself again and again.

Credit is used to purchase chickens or piglets, or a sewing machine, or a kiosk, or some equipment to start a business. Just as in Bangladesh where Nobel Peace Prize winner, Muhammad Yunis began, micro credit system has an extraordinary success rate. These Micro-Loans are the tiny boost needed by Mayan women to build their own businesses. Most importantly they gain new skills to share with their children and their neighbours.

6 comments:

Unknown said...

Interesting work you are doing.

I work in Guatemala as well, but as yet, not doing any microloans.

Now that it has been a year, what are the results? Were all paid back? What exactly did the people buy with the loans?

Do you stay in touch with the recepients during the year?

Thanks for the info.
M.P.

Catarina said...

you said "Two hundred women assembled". What about the Mayan men?

Catarina said...

You said "Two hundred women assembled". What about the Mayan men?

Paso Por Paso said...

Paso Por Paso has only been in operation for one season, not a year. Another organization, Mayan Families, has a 100% rate of repayment in San Jorge village near Panajachel.

Paso Por Paso said...

Paso Por Paso micro loans at this stage are only available to women.

Paso Por Paso said...

A committee of local women in a village do steady monitoring of loans and recipients' performance, so the loan program is run by the women themselves. Paso provides the seed funding, not the administration. It works.