Skills Training for Single Moms in Guatemala City

With your support, ISMU continues to focus its efforts on strengthening marginalized urban areas of Guatemala City by providing community members with job training workshops.

Our most recent update reports on job training workshops that provide skills to participants. These are skills they can do at home to earn an income with. ISMU facilitated workshops on environmentally friendly cleaning products that are made out of natural plants. With the skills gained from this workshop, women will be able to generate an income from the production and sales of these cleaning products.

ISMU’s microfinance program, Communal Loan Funds, is proving to be a great success. The microfinance program is currently working in 16 different communities and is benefiting 70 people. Community members are able to invest in income generating projects of their choice, such as making and selling traditional foods, pig raising, tailoring clothes, and more.

Not only does ISMU empower adults, they also show great support to the urban youth. Providing scholarships to impoverished children is a central part of ISMU’s work toward urban poverty alleviation. ISMU granted scholarships to 183 students that are facing economic and social problems in the completion of their studies. With the support of the scholarships, students are able to continue their education. Several of the local youths who have graduated, are now tutoring other students in their own communities.

By donating to ISMU you are ensuring more women can benefit from this program.

Thank you for your support.

On Tuesday, March 16, all donations up to $1,000 per donor, per project will be matched. Donate on Tuesday, March 16, 2010, and maximize your gift. International Women's Day was this week, and to celebrate amazing and strong women and girls, we are pleased to report handicraft training has been successful and on target. From our latest report, ISMU staff trained 70 women in the production of handicrafts made out of recycled materials. The women participating in the training also learned business and leadership skills in order to replicate these workshops in their own communities and train even more women interested in handicraft training. Additionally, 4 teachers facilitated a series of workshops on arts and crafts for families living in extreme poverty. The workshops taught participants how to create marketable eco-friendly products. Products included wallets made out of plastic bags, candleholders made out of juice cans, jewelry accessories made out of natural seeds, and coin purses using recycled plastic. Through ISMU’s connections to fair trade outlets in Guatemala City (including a cultural center and a museum gift shop selling fair trade artisan products), the participants are able to sell their handicrafts at fair prices.