ESPERA Archives - Page 7 of 7

Photograph of three women walking in a cane sugar field.

Drought in Nicaragua Limits Access to Raw Material

“This situation really affects us a lot,” said Doña Trinidad, “because one of the difficulties that we face is that we can’t just tell a client that we don’t have raw material to make their orders; what we do is explain that there is a scarcity.

ESPERA

Drought in Nicaragua: Environmental and Human Crisis

According to the environmental organization Centro Humboldt, Nicaragua is confronting “the most profound environmental crisis in recent history.” Between 2011 and 2016 there has been a reduction in forest coverage of more than 36,000 hectares (roughly 100,000 acres).

ESPERA

A Mother Helps Her Daughter Overcome Obstacles with ESPERA

Carolina is Eva’s 21 year old daughter. When she was four years old doctors discovered a disease on her vocal cords that would cause them to swell and asphyxiate her. Since then she has had 15 preventative surgeries.

Photograph of a group of women sitting in a cirlce, one woman is talking. Behind her is flipchart paper that says tienda and has a list of ideas underneath it.

ESPERA

ESPERA Assembly in Suchitoto, El Salvador

During the assembly, the women broke into small groups based on the kinds of business they run. Together they brainstormed ideas to improve their business and different ways to create economic solidarity.

Photograph of dried corn cobs in a bowl.

ESPERA

Exploring Economic Injustices: Guest Reflections on Visiting ESPERA Groups in Mexico

I visited the home of Letty in Cuentepec, a small indigenous village in the rural outskirts of Cuernavaca. It was the feast day of St. Sebastian, the patron Saint of their town, and following their custom, each family welcomed us with an edible feast of chicken mole with all the trimmings.

Photograph of a Mexican woman painting clay molds of the sun and moon.

ESPERA

Reflections on Traveling with the Women of ESPERA

In almost every ESPERA group I visited, the women told me that they use the loan to buy raw materials – these are expensive and the ESPERA loan is often the boost the women need to get their business started.

Photograph of Nicaraguan women, all wearing bright blue tshirts.

ESPERA

Lessons Learned from Feminist Leaders

Recently in the United States a backlash has grown, especially among young women, against the label, “feminist.” Some women see it as anti-male. At Mary’s Pence that’s not how we see it – we root our work in values of Catholic Social Teaching and feminism – in values of justice, collaboration, and mutuality.

Photograph of a woman holding up a pen and reading from a notebook while two other women look on and listen.

ESPERA

Nine New Women Welcomed to ESPERA! And Other Updates from Auxiliadora

Many of the women already have plans for their loans. Elizabeth is planning to sell clothes. Emelína wants to make and sell enchiladas and tortillas. Reyna wants to sell cheese and chicken. María Auxiliadora and María Emérita will make improvements to their small tienda.

ESPERA

Finding Inspiration from Isabel

For Isabel, however, involvement in ESPERA wasn’t just about an increase in her income. She was a driving force in her community, a visionary who ensured that a sense of solidarity and empowerment was present among the women. Isabel led capacity building workshops about successful business practices, communications, and self-esteem.

Photograph of Kitty Madden with two pregnant women on either side of her.

ESPERA

Notes from Nicaragua: Kitty Madden Remembers

At the Casa Materna, we gathered women who were potters, jewelry makers, seamstresses, community organizers and promoters of natural medicines together with ourselves as caregivers for mothers with high-risk pregnancies – what energy filled the house during our two days together.

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