Economic Empowerment for 200 Women in Nicaragua

In August Yolanda Fletes Rosales joined Self -Help International the Micro-Credit Program Coordinator. She started out by meeting with 13 individual beneficiaries spread amongst three communities. Two women from Quinta Lidia, six women from Las Azucenas and five women from Melchorita. Yolanda visits these women regularly to learn more about them, their needs and expectation from Self-Help as an organization. She also began working to establish new groups by going door-to-door in each of the above-mentioned communities above plus new ones. She held meetings and intensive training sessions on business management, health and nutrition. As of October 2013 there are seven new groups of women benefiting from SHI’s micro-credit program.  There is a group of 9 women in Cruz Verde. Three groups of five women in Las Azucenas. A group of five women in Quinta Lidia. A group from of five women in Santa Isabel. And a group of five women from Espabel (Melchorita).

Yolanda hopes to integrate the individual women with groups. And, there are plans for  two more groups in the communities of Las Azucena and Melchoron. Her new strategy for the  program is to train women in the following
topics before distributing loans: Business Management and Creativity, Entrepreneurship, Business Plans, Health, Nutrition, and Hygiene.

Your continued support will help Yolanda to continue to grow the micro-credit program and efficiently train new beneficiaries. Because of your generosity Self-Help International is able to help many women through training and loans.

Blanca Rosa García Martínez is 24-years-old. She lives in Las Azucenas and has two children; one boy, 4-year-old Heyde, and one girl, 1-year-old Kelly. Blanca’s husband, Douglas, does not have a permanent job but works in the field whenever someone asks him to do so.

Blanca has a small store where she sells clothes and shoes and her clients are teachers and Orange field workers from El San Juan.

Self-Help International gave Blanca her first loan of $50 in May 2012. She used the money to purchase more supplies for her store and was able to pay it off at the end of August 2012. Later that month Self-Help gave Blanca her second loan of $75. She had hoped to use this loan to buy supplies as well, but unfortunately one of her children became ill so she used the money to purchase the medicine for him. She finished paying her loan in February and in the same month we gave her a third loan of $100 which Blanca plans to use to purchase supplies for her store.

“I am the head of our house and I really appreciate all the support,” said Blanca Rosa of Self-Help International.

Because of your generosity, Blanca is able to earn more profit in her store and support her family. Thank you for your support of Blanca Rosa and many other women like her.