Olga’s Journey and the Transformative Power of Mary’s Pence Program in Honduras
In many rural communities across Honduras and Central America, women live in deeply rooted patriarchal systems that shape nearly every aspect of life, from access to land and credit to...
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Up Before the Sun: The Invisible Labor of Women Leaders in Central America
In Suchitoto, El Salvador, women of a Local Leadership Council gathered to reflect on their lives through drawings — many centered on the sun, a symbol of both nourishment and hardship in daily rural life.
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How Education About Women’s Rights Creates Economic Autonomy in El Salvador
At Mary’s Pence, supporting women’s leadership means continuously evolving alongside the communities we accompany. In El Salvador, the ESPERA program is deepening its impact through new strategies that strengthen not...
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Staying Organized, Staying Strong
When the women of AMOS faced the possibility of their organization breaking apart, they felt deep concern. Founded in 2013 as Red Unión de Mujeres (RUM), the organization brought together...
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ESPERA: Economic Systems Providing Equitable Resources for All
For 17 years, the ESPERA program has partnered with women’s organizations across Central America and Mexico. Through accompaniment, funding, and skill-building, we work to improve women’s lives. This support helps...
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Welcoming Two New Partners in Honduras
We are thrilled to welcome two organizations to ESPERA: Intibucan Foundation for Development (FUNIDE) and Center for the Prevention, Treatment, and Rehabilitation of Torture Victims (CPTRT). Both organizations have programs...
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Rural Women on the Frontlines of Climate Change and Food Security
An inspiring example of women’s leadership comes from a group of ten women, members of ESPERA partner AMOS in El Salvador, who launched an organic home gardening project in June...
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Erika’s Hard Work and ESPERA Support Lead to Lasting Improvements
Erika Eloísa Ramírez de Valiente lives in the district of Apopa, El Salvador. She shares her life with her husband and her siblings and is part of Mary’s Pence ESPERA...
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Transforming Leadership in Central America
Grassroots organizing is a demanding, time-intensive job, and too often goes unpaid. Across communities, women step up to lead because they care about their communities and the dignity of other...
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Economic Power and Emotional Healing in Central America
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...
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