skip to main |
skip to sidebar
There is always room for something crazy to happen in Peru, and DiscoverHope classes are no exception. Let me share with you some of the events that unfolded in our bakery class yesterday. First of all, we had record breaking participation in our class. There were 22 women that attended class, and many more that had expressed interest in coming but didn't sign up. So we had a very full house of eager students. Which also meant we had a full house of little children running around, and if it wasn't for Socorro, our amazing childcare provider this month, our full house would have turned into a crazy house. Class started, women receieved their recipes and the baking got underway. I skipped out of the classroom to meet with another teacher and when I came back I found all the women gathered around a plastic chair. They couldn't find the socket to plug in the blender, so the entire class moved to the only visible plugin and were cooking on a plastic chair. I quickly showed the teacher the plug in close to the cooking table, but the women seemed very content with the current set-up so they continued to work in their huddled position.We put the cakes in the oven, first the Cheesecake and then the Lime Pie. While we were waiting for the oven to do it's work, Oswaldo joined the class for another Business Charla. He had a captive audience until the moment when we noticed that the kitchen was filling with smoke. Upon closer examination the actual oven was leaking smoke. The rescue team, Oswaldo, our teacher and another student, opened the oven to try and resolve the problem, meanwhile all the women had fled the classroom because they couldn't breathe from all the smoke that had traveled out of the kitchen into the classroom. Oswaldo solved the problem. A piece of cloth was stuck back in the oven, caught on fire and was causing all this chaos. He removed the cloth, we faned the kitchen and eventually all the women returned to their seats to finish class. Thankfully, both our Cheesecake and Lime Pie were not damaged. Everyone had a chance to taste the baked goods when our class ended. But lesson learned, check the oven before baking. 
Paz ~ Nora
I was incredibly motivated by our new village bank yesterday. They surprised me and filled me up at the same time. After a new village bank forms I ask the group to gather to have a microcredit "plus" meeting. During this gathering I explain to the women the work of DHF and why we believe that loans coupled with education are key to providing support and a path towards a successful businesses, as well as opportunities to grow personally. So we do a couple different activities in this meeting, first so that I can get to know the women and their individual businesses. Secondly, I want to know what their desires are, where they need/want support, what they want to learn. I use pictures of activities (for example literacy, sewing classes, etc...) we have done in the past or would like to do in the near future and ask the women to prioritize if any of these activities would help the women in their lives. "Strength and Blessings" village bank had a lot of ideas yesterday; they want to learn more about how to care for their animals, get their pigs good and fat for market day. They also want to learn more about sewing clothes, since almost all of them sew in some way, shape or form. Finally, a number of women want to improve their math skills, so they can keep better track of their business money. The ideas just kept flowing all afternoon. On top of that, 5 of the village bank members signed up for bakery class this afternoon. They are all meeting at 2pm at the presiden'ts house so they can go together and be early, .."we don't want to get lost." Class starts at 3pm. There are really no words for me when I witness a group of women coming together, organizing amongst themselves, and motivating for self-improvement. It is my inspiration. I gotta run to class, don't want to be late, and have "Strength and Blessing" beat me.Paz ~ Nora
I am in love with Hope.
Today, as many days, I began the day being Grateful for having so many amazing people around the energy of DiscoverHope. As we prepare for the Spring Into Hope event next week, it struck me again that the energy of good things and how they show up in the world is beautifully Guided. At least that is how I see it, at the helm of DiscoverHope with a view on all the amazing beautiful acts of love that uplift this organization. I simply feel ultra amazed that I get to experience all the intertwined personalities, intelligence, joy, Hope in so many people.
On the outside of an organization, you just witness things as they happen in their completed form…but they happen thanks to the interworkings of effort, time, and giving. Today I’d like the share just a small list of ways our work “gets done”…and let you witness the layers of who we ARE. The heartbeat of DHF is in every one of you.
o Program Team in the field in Peru, makes our work happen
o Event Team plans event details down the the nitty gritty
o Business Corporate Team connects for in-kind donations, goods, relationships
o Revenue Development Team driving our relationships with all donors
o Marketing Team drives messaging on everything
o PR/Media team prepares for our Microcredit Martes informational sessions
o Speaker Leader Team books us gigs to share our work with public audiences
o Microcredit Toolkit Team compiles research on all aspects of how to build this development model for public sharing
o Individual Lending Team finds folks who want to give larger micro-loans to DHF to loan in the field
o Board of Directors drives me and the organization with so much commitment
o Donors give us energy, life, and hope to keep on doing what we do
o The women we serve…are examples of courage for everyone
Be in love with the Hope around you today.
mz
Strength and Blessings, translated in spanish as "Fuerza y Bendicion," is the name of the new village bank formed yesterday. I went to the bank formation thinking I would witness, take pictures and invite women to classes at the Hope House. I did that and a little more. So the bank formation went like this:Women trickle in two by two into the open patio space that was surrounded by mud walls in the countryside, Tartar Chico, outside of Banos de Inca. The rain softly reminded us that we were safe and dry under the tin roftop. Elizabeth took the newly elected President, Secretary and Treasurer aside to give them a quick pep talk about how the meeting would go. The formal speeches started. A meeting in Peru is not complete without a long winded formal speech. Then, yours truely - with no advanced notice - did the swearing in ceremony. I admit, I tried not to fall into the long winded speech category. Since our new bank members are all evangelical we had a toast with Pepsi, instead of the wine Oswaldo brought, and congratulated one another on the bank formation. Oswaldo presented the loan money to the president, who together with her new directives counted the money. It was all there. The 3 directives then sat down in front of a wobbly wooden table covered with a blanket to give the corresponding loan amount to each respective bank member. It ran so smooth and it was all so well orquested by Elizabeth. We had little chickens running around at our feet and small children asking for more Pepsi, but nothing crazy. After the loans were dispersed Oswaldo explained the pay back system, including savings account and accrued interest. I also added my invitation to the group to participate in classes. The final part of our meeting was a plate full of potatoes covered in spicy yellow sauce. A perfect end to a perfect village bank formation.Paz ~ Nora
As the U.S. is prepping for spring, we in Peru are eagerly waiting for the raining season to end. Yesterday was a perfect example of rainy season madness. I had left the Hope House to buy some things for our afternoon class. The sky was cloudy, but I didn't pay any attention to that. I made my way to the busy market street, when not even 2 blocks later, I found myself hugging the outside store walls and thanking the overhang for protecting me from the brutal downpour. The streets turned into grey rivers and everybody stopped in their tracks. 15 minutes later the downpour disappeared, but the riverflow in the streets stayed heavy. My shopping trip that normally would have taken 20 minutes took almost an hour. When our afternoon class started my shoes were still soaking wet. The women took pity on me and suggested we make a 'chanchita,' the commonly used word for piggy bank when a group of people all put together a little money to buy something. With the chancita the women bought sugar, hot tea and bread and we had a warm little snack that didn't dry my shoes, but definitely warmed me up. Today the sky is cloudy, but I am proceeding with caution!Paz ~ Nora
We are trying a different approach to business classes this year - businesses charlas, or chats. Before some of our more popular classes at the Hope House we want to give business advice to the minds and bodies of the women that come to classes. They are already here in the Hope House and an extra 15-20 minutes before classes to get business advice takes away very little class time. Plus, it gets our women thinking 'business' while they are working on their scarf, jewelry piece, etc... Oswaldo, our business advisor, talked about business plans with the 10 women that came to class this afternoon. He did a great job of speaking to their business level and relating to them. The women were quiet during the charla time, but after Oswaldo left I heard the aftermath..."It is really important to seperate our capital business money from personal money, that is why we don't make money. I use to have a name for my business, but didn't think it was important. It is important to think about price of our products, otherwise we don't make money....." and on and on. Oswaldo gave the women some business homework and they started on their scarf projects. It was interesting that throughout the afternoon the women kept coming back to the business themes. That means the ideas are ringing in their ears.The next business charla will be next week where Oswaldo will repeat the same business themes with a different group of women. Paz ~ Nora
Maggie is back in the good ol’ USA and truly inspired by the journey in Peru . We’ve founded solid partnerships in our work that are established on value systems of integrity that serve the women and their desires. I am so grateful to Nora and the team in Peru for what they do to make this work actualize on the ground…and equally thankful to the team of people in supporters in the USA that give this work a lifeline of pulse and energy.
I had a wonderful last day in Peru taking the early morning flight out of Cajamarca to Lima . Watching the lit up tips of ice-capped mountains in Huaraz peeking above the clouds reflecting with the sun is absolutely celestial. Into the hustle and bustle of the 12 million folks in Lima , the capitol of Peru …I found my way to the apartment of good friend and amazing advisor Mahlon Barash, who worked with CHF International in a microcredit housing project in Cajamarca for several years and for me, is a microfinance guru who asks amazing questions. Over lunch, had the good fortune of meeting with the FINCA Peru Executive Director, Iris Lanao Flores who runs a microcredit portfolio of nearly $3 million with Peruvian women in South Peru and Lima . I felt incredibly blessed to be sitting with two amazing people like Mahlon and Iris and sharing feedback about how Microcredit Plus programs function in the field. We collectively agreed to visit and learn from one another at our sites. A peaceful day of sharing before the all night red eye flight home to Texas !
Back in the energy on the US side, I wanted to remind any of you TX present folks to us for a special evening to cultivate the entrepreneurial passions of women in poverty as we seek to fund 300 classes at the HopeHouse, our women's development center where women walk through the doors into their own power. Come enjoy complementary food and drinks, music, and plenty of parking for all. We'll be creating magic in the green of the Spring! Please visit our Eventbrite link here to get free tickets and information about the event: http://www.springintohope.eventbrite.com or visit http://www.lendhope.org
What can I say except you all give me the strength to open my heart every day.
MM
There is always room for something crazy to happen in Peru, and DiscoverHope classes are no exception. Let me share with you some of the events that unfolded in our bakery class yesterday. First of all, we had record breaking participation in our class. There were 22 women that attended class, and many more that had expressed interest in coming but didn't sign up. So we had a very full house of eager students. Which also meant we had a full house of little children running around, and if it wasn't for Socorro, our amazing childcare provider this month, our full house would have turned into a crazy house. 
