ON THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FRONT

We have just completed our proposal for the Microcredit Program and we are in the process of securing funds for the program. With some institutional partners already secured (more are needed), we are currently taking the next steps in the implementation of the project. Providing access to affordable capital coupled with innovative small business/financial education is ESSENTIAL to families’ ability to break the cycle of poverty, that is why our highly educational and supportive microcredit program is so important in 2021 and beyond.

Right now, we are at a critical crossroads. On the one hand, there is the necessity to evaluate beneficiaries and their needs, and on the other hand, we must pinpoint and confirm donors interested in investing in the project.

We are extremely fortunate to have Nohelia Guarchaj, Sub-Director of Economic Development, heading the Microcredit program. Not only does Nohelia (Nellie) have a Master’s in Business Administration and Management with a focus on international business, she also has a world of experience in the work field — with many years in an NGO providing microcredit, later with another NGO  working for the empowerment of female artisans in Indigenous communities. Nellie is fluent in the Mayan tongues of Quiché, Tzutujil, and Kaqchikel, as well as Spanish and English.

by Herlinda Barreno, Head of Economic Development