Apr
Delegations, Rights for Youth and Women
Aguacaliente: “In the land of Bird and Flower”
By Judy Brubaker
I’m in a small village in El Salvador with 3 friends through a Sister city program between here and Concord, New Hampshire.
We were lucky to be here on the one day of the year that 3 women’s credit groups were meeting to have the women pay back their loans.
Many of the 37 women had already paid, but about 15 were here on that last day to repay.
I asked what the women had borrowed the money for.
Melida borrowed $350 for fertelizer and seeds to feed her family and sell the excess. With the profit She was able to fix her roof.
Daisy borrowed $250 to help her pay for a cow.
Verónica borrowed $100 so her husband could buy fishing nets. This village is on a lake full of fish.
Marina borrowed $100 to buy chicken wire, feed, and 30 chickens.
Esmeralda borrowed $100 to stock her small store.
Dora borrowed $100 to buy fish. She sells it in the village and also goes 4 hours by bus every day to sell it in the capitol City.
Allison borrowed $50 to buy clothes for resale.
50 dollars is the amount given to a first year borrower. Then $100 the second year. The interest is 10%. That’s how the fund grows to include more women.
The applicants must first be involved in community projects/activities. They must have a good record of trustworthyness. And they must have a good plan for an economic initiative.
One Sister city, Chicago, provided the seed money for one of the 3 credit group. The purpose is still to empower women economically so that they have some independence.
Every year the investments these women make in themselves as a group grow by 10% – Not a bad return!
We are here to witness the power of getting organized to work together!
Lets make it world wide and save ourselves and this beautiful planet.
