How the Global Pandemic Touches the Lives of ESPERA Women in Central America and Mexico
Even though it’s only been a couple months, mid- March feels like a lifetime ago. That’s when 15 women – all representatives of ESPERA partner organizations – and ESPERA staff...
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Solidarity, Love and Commitment: Adjusting ESPERA’s Work in the Pandemic
It can be difficult to work as an international team such as ESPERA at the best of times. It is especially the case during these hard times, as nations scramble...
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Founded in Rebellion: Women Organizing for their Rights
The featured image shows ASMUR's leadership team. The woman in the image on the left is Cristina. This history of ASMUR was written by Cristina Bernabe. Cristina was a founding...
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Evaluation as a Collaboration Among Partners
This past year the ESPERA program turned 10 years old! In recognition of this important milestone Mary’s Pence initiated a yearlong evaluation process in collaboration with our ESPERA partners. The...
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Five ESPERA Women at the Encuentro, Five Changed Lives!
Isabel, a Guatemalan woman from Sololá, interviews five women who, like her, participated in the Encuentro that took place in La Palma from January 8-10 to celebrate the 10th anniversary...
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It Keeps Me Sane
I am a member of the Ignatian Volunteer Corps and as a part of that organization, I have been blessed to be with Mary’s Pence for three fulfilling years. A...
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As Crisis Deepens, Auxiliadora Accompanies Women
Auxiladora didn’t talk much about herself at first. We’d walked up the block to grab coffee and chatted for about an hour about the ESPERA program before she shared details...
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In Depth with ESPERA: Different Life Stories, One True Collaboration
In Tonacatepeque, El Salvador, women in a new ESPERA group have come together across social differences: one part is from the local Catholic parish, and the other is a feminist group working on women’s rights.
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In Depth with ESPERA: Grupo Emprendedor La Epifanía, Tegucigalpa, Honduras
The seed contribution from Mary’s Pence into Epifanía’s community lending pool was $3,500 in September of 2012. Six and a half years later, the 26 members of Epifanía have distributed 156 loans amongst themselves with a cumulative total of $61,670.
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The 2019 Encuentro – We Gathered with Gratitude
If we used just one word to describe the experience, it would have to be gratitude. All throughout the days we spent together, women expressed gratitude for the opportunity to participate in the ESPERA program and the opportunity to meet one another, for the work of Mary’s Pence and the work of our ancestors.
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