At Mary’s Pence, we believe in women’s power to shape their futures. Through the ESPERA program, women across Latin America are building economic independence and creating community-led financial systems. Whether tending to coffee fields in Honduras or running small businesses in Guatemala, they are leading the path to change. Through the support of Mary’s Pence’s ESPERA program, many women can access previously inaccessible financial and emotional wellness support, building stronger community economies and improving their lives.
Impact in Rural Honduras
Located in Chinacla, La Paz, Honduras, Grupo de Mujeres Lencas—a collective of Indigenous women—centers its economic initiatives around coffee production and other small businesses. After the cooperative they once relied on dissolved, leaving them without a market and supplies for their coffee, they connected with Mary’s Pence. Since then, the group has been able to administer and grow a community-based lending fund, escape the burden of predatory loans, and gain access to fair, low-interest loans that empower financial independence and promote sustainable growth.
On top of maintaining their coffee plots, this support has also enabled them to stock community stores, fostering economic stability within their community. In a conversation with Olga, the group’s coordinator, she shared how the ESPERA program was working for the women of Grupo de Mujeres Lencas. “In our rural area, most of us don’t own land, so we don’t qualify for loans from financial institutions. ESPERA loans are group-based and don’t require land ownership. It’s the only program we can access as a group.”
In the little over a year they have been participating in the ESPERA program, their economic situation has changed significantly. “As a group, we decided to charge only 2% interest per loan monthly, compared to banks that charge 7% or more. This better interest rate has enabled us to reinvest, support our families, and pay for our children’s education.” The women evaluate requests for loans collectively, considering need and capacity, and prioritize maintaining harmony within the group. “We’re stronger because we support each other. That’s how we keep growing.”
Overall, the participants have experienced significant improvements in their lives and communities. Coffee production has increased, and the impact is also visible in individual success stories: one woman purchased 0.5 acres of land. At the same time, another was able to build a new adobe kitchen, replacing a deteriorated structure and improving her family’s living conditions.
Emotional wellness is also an important part of the transformation. For the first time, we’ve started to receive emotional wellness workshops. We feel more optimistic. We’ve grown personally and socially, not just economically.”
Growth in Guatemala
In Guatemala, women in groups like Ixoc Mayaj and ADISA are building community-based saving and lending systems. In Ixoc Mayaj (Maya Women), 13 women leaders manage rotating loan access for surrounding communities. The loans—typically one to two months in duration—circulate quickly and efficiently, ensuring that many women benefit. Meanwhile, ADISA, which supports many mothers of children with disabilities, has created a strong loan fund that includes their own savings and supports businesses like weaving, growing vegetables, and running local tiendas. One participant shared, “With ESPERA, we’ve started saving. Many of us didn’t know how to save or access credit before. Now, we loan to each other and set the terms together. We decide what works best for us.”
However, the impact of ESPERA is more than financial. Across both countries, emotional wellness workshops have created space for healing, confidence, and solidarity. In a region where trauma and exclusion often shape women’s lives, the opportunity to process those experiences is transformative. “For the first time, we’ve received emotional wellness workshops. We feel more optimistic. We’ve grown personally and socially, not just economically,” shared one participant. Another reflected, “Now, we don’t feel ashamed to talk about our experiences. We’re healing together.”
Empowerment Beyond Economics
ESPERA is about healing, leadership, and dignity. Women speak of improvements in income, mental health, physical well-being, and community recognition.
By offering consistent accompaniment and a long-term perspective, ESPERA supports women through each stage of their journey—from their first loan to potentially becoming leaders or coordinators in their groups. As one leader shared, “This isn’t a program with an end date. One group finishes a loan cycle, another begins. And with each new participant, we see new energy, new ideas, and change.”