Grameen Foundation : Resource Center : Print Newsletter : Spring 2007 : Trip Report From Mexico
Trip Report From Mexico: Inspiration from the Poorest
As the new Executive Director of Major Gifts on the West Coast, I had the opportunity to visit Grameen Foundation's (GF) parnter, AlSol, in Chiapas, Mexico.
Together with Gloria McCall Godat, Chairman of the Board of the Chiapas Project in Dallas and Reed Oppenheimer, Chair of GF’s James and Betty Sams Fund, we met with AlSol’s founder, Pilar Garcia, and a group of AlSol’s clients. AlSol is one of GF’s 13 partners in the Americas region, which collectively deliver microfinance to more than 203,000 clients.
Pilar described AlSol’s growth from the first borrower in 1998 to over 11,000 today, and their plans to reach 20,000 clients by the end of 2007. We learned about initiatives to bring health care and education to clients’ families, and of the success of their nutritional program, which provides dietary supplements to 250 malnourished children.
After our meeting with Pilar we drove to participate in a group meeting in Betania, a small village in Chiapas. We were greeted by smiling and waving children who ran alongside the van. Their mothers, most with children attached to their bodies in one way or another by colorful wraps, welcomed us with smiles as our group gathered with 40 borrowers for their weekly meeting. The women responded with dignity during roll call and each proudly came forward with cash to make the next installment of their loan.
After the group meeting, we said “adios” and left to visit a borrower’s home. Andrea Hernandez Diaz has been making textile handicrafts for twelve years. Before becoming a client of AlSol, she embroidered her fabric and maintained a small production. She often could not meet the demand for her crafts because she did not have enough capital to invest in her business. Andrea turned to AlSol and received an initial loan of 500 Pesos (US$45). She invested her loan in fabric to enable her to increase production. With subsequent loans she purchased raw materials and further expanded her business. Andrea used the profits from her growing business to purchase land, expand her home, improve her family’s diet, and support her six children through school.
To learn more about the inspiring story of the Chiapas Project and their goal to raise $3.5 million dollars in support of GF’s work in Latin America, visit
www.chiaps-project.org.
Grameen Foundation : Resource Center : Print Newsletter : Spring 2007 : Trip Report From Mexico
Grameen Foundation uses microfinance and innovative technology to fight global poverty and bring opportunities to the world's poorest people. With tiny loans and financial services, we help the poor, mostly women, start businesses and escape poverty. Our global network of 55 microfinance institution (MFI) partners including our Growth Guarantee partners has touched more than 34 million people in 24 countries. In addition, we introduced and now sustain technology initiatives (Mifos and Village Phone) in Cameroon, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda, bringing our total country outreach to 28.
+1-202-628-3560 www.grameenfoundation.org
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