At the end of June, our ESPERA partners in Nicaragua received a special visit. Mabel, our ESPERA Team Lead, visits CEPROSI a couple of times per year, but this time, Brenda, our ESPERA Economic Initiatives Advisor in El Salvador, and Lucy from ADISA, one of our partner organizations in Guatemala, joined her.
Their trip to Nicaragua had a clear purpose: to check in with the groups of women with ESPERA loans and members of CEPROSI, our partner organization, and monitor the progress that CEPROSI is making with their economic initiatives.
Mary’s Pence staff had the privilege of visiting several groups that are part of CEPROSI: Fe y Esperanza, Sol de Vida, Mujeres Emprendedoras, Rayito de Luz, Luisa Amanda Gaitán, Cristo es Luz, and Génesis. There are 74 economic initiatives by women of CEPROSI involving 34 women with loans from the ESPERA fund. Mary’s Pence visits Nicaragua approximately three times yearly to maintain our close support and connection. The five-day visit allowed the team to witness firsthand the impact of ESPERA and the growth experienced by the women’s small businesses.
During the visits, Lucy and Brenda engaged in coaching sessions with women who have economic initiatives and their leaders. They observed, asked questions, commented, and suggested, providing support and accompaniment.
Women Learned New Skills
Lucy conducted a one-day workshop explaining the Collective-Savings Initiative methodology she uses with groups in Guatemala. This methodology allows participants to keep and grow a collective fund so that money is available for women when they need it or at the end of the terms they previously agreed on.
Different groups have different ‘rules’ that help grow the fund. For example, some groups incentivize members to attend meetings by offering small rewards for punctuality and consistent participation. This encourages regular attendance, fostering a sense of community and ensuring that the savings pool continues to grow and be available for everyone.
Lucy also provided participants with tools for identifying business ideas, conducting feasibility analysis, budgeting, and calculating profits. These basic business practices help the women better understand their businesses and grow their income. This knowledge empowers them and supports their initiatives, leading to more informed decisions for themselves and their families.
During this visit, Brenda, one of our dedicated ESPERA Regional Team Members who joined us in January, working in El Salvador, had the opportunity to meet the collectives and economic initiatives for the first time in person. She adapted methodologies used with groups in El Salvador and provided training to the leaders on monitoring and keeping track of expenses and earnings. This ensured that our approach remained relevant and effective. A significant part of the trip included a meeting with the leaders and technical team of CEPROSI, strengthening the relationships that are the foundation of our collaborative efforts.
The women participants expressed that the entrepreneurship methodology is easy to use and apply in their businesses, and the local ESPERA Coordinators who follow up with each woman and her initiative have started using the tools that were shared with them. “The women welcomed us with open hearts and joyful spirits. They answered all our questions and were eager to ask their own,” said Mabel.
The response from the women attending these workshops was overwhelmingly positive. The leaders and technical team demonstrated immense enthusiasm, actively participating by sharing their experiences and asking insightful questions about the methodologies they learned.
Subsidiarity: Making Decisions at the Most Local Level
CEPROSI has started a process of “autonomy” with the groups they work with, meaning each group will manage its own ESPERA community lending pool, which is one of the features of our program in Central America. Mary’s Pence provides the initial funds for the pool, but women in their communities through collective decision-making and management of the lending process, determine loan criteria, amounts, and repayment periods, and electing leaders who execute and track the lending. The women use loans from the pool to start both collective and individual income-generating businesses like small shops, food and agricultural production, or making artisan crafts.
Previously, CEPROSI managed the logistics aspects of the full lending pool, like keeping the funds in one bank account and moving or wiring the money when needed, but to ensure compliance with current state requirements, CEPROSI has decided it’s time for the groups to become self-sufficient. The organization sees this transition as an excellent way to strengthen the groups and secure long-term sustainability.
Building a Foundation for Sustainable Success
Our work in Nicaragua highlights the importance of strengthening organizations. Building robust, resilient structures ensures that our efforts are sustainable and far-reaching. The work of organizations like CEPROSI is about nurturing a supportive community that can weather any storm. This integral work, supported by the generosity of donors and the hard work of staff and partners, creates a solid foundation upon which these women can build their futures.
Mabel added, “It was very satisfying to visit Nicaragua again and see the progress of CEPROSI in supporting the women. Seeing how this support is reflected in the improvement of economic initiatives and living conditions of the women is truly touching and rewarding. Our frequent visits have built trust, allowing the women to share their successes, difficulties, and doubts with confidence. For Lucy and Brenda, it was essential to understand CEPROSI’s work beyond the ESPERA Program, witnessing their community work and collaborations with other donor organizations since they receive funding from other sources, too. This trip was important because it helped foster a closer relationship between the ESPERA Program organizations in Guatemala (ADISA) and Nicaragua (CEPROSI).”
We see the seeds of transformation in every visit, interaction, and shared moment. Together, we are not just building businesses; we are building futures filled with hope and dignity.