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This is a little overdue, please forgive me. After months of good health, the cold/flu bug has attacked and much of my energy has been going towards the cold fight this week. Last week DiscoverHope Fund welcomed a new member to our village banking project. Elizabeth Bertha, but we'll just call her Bertha, otherwise you'll confuse her with our village bank officer Elizabeth. She is our new business advisor and will dedicate her time to listening to women's business difficulties, providing simple business solutions and do individual follow-up with business progress. She brings a wealth of experience working with women in poverty and her professional background is accounting. I love having her as part of our team as she is a strong woman filled with ideas and totally committed to our work. Since she started she has been meeting the various village banks and visiting women in their respective business. We threw her into the fire and this past Saturday she did a pre-programmed business session with our bank Las Progresistas. Since it was on the eve of Mother's Day, the village banking meeting was filled not only with loan re-payment and business tips, but a small lunch and cake. A nice way to start out on the job. Paz ~ Nora
Finally! I am so happy. Finally 6 of our loan recipients organized themselves to sell their jewelry and other crafts for Mother's Day. I had been encouraging the women since our first Buy Day this year to sell to locals, now that we have a prime traffic space. Our office and Hope House learning space is on the 2nd floor of the community complex that is only 2 blocks from the Central Plaza. 1,000's People walk past our office every day and don't even know it. The loan recipients that motivated to sell for Mother's Day approached the Head Nun earlier this week to ask permission to sell on the 1st floor, right in front of the main doorway. They said, Yes. BINGO! So far, sales have been steady. Not over the roof, but the women are making just a little bit more money compared to their normal sales. Paz ~ Nora
This month has started out with a bang. I usually wait the first couple days of the month to get started with classes, because I use the first days of the month to purchase materials, 'pass the word' and get everything in order. But, since I traveled to Lima last week (to become a legal Peruvian resident with the immigration office!) I handed out May class calendars to loan recipients the last week of April. And, I had women sign up early for classes, which in and of itself is a miracle. This week so far women have made jewelry, organized themselves for jewelry sales, started computer classes and our sewing class is finishing their skirts for Mother's Day. All of that in only a couple of days. We still have a whole month ahead of us to do so much more. Our sewing class is moving along and sewing their first project. They are making skirts. Just in time for Mother's Day. So, we will have a lot of happy moms that will be wearing new skirts on Sunday.It has been such a joy to witness women learning how to use the computer for the first time. Two of our computer students today mentioned, "WOW, now I know how to turn on the computer and write something." Paz ~ Nora
This week was filled with classes to prepare our loan recipients for Mother's Day business. Mother's Day is just around the corner, a week away. Many of our contract teachers know this week and have been preparing for weeks for big sales this coming week. However, many of our loan recipients haven't been doing the same thing, either because they have never made Mother's Day crafts or haven't targeted their businesses in this holiday. The women learned how to decorate chocolates during one of the classes this week, which can be used either as a personal gift (thus saving money) or making more and selling them (making money)! This week will be the test to see if women are able to implement their new skills into new business.
Paz ~ Nora
We did it - another animal session in the countryside, just as I had promised in a previous post. Last week was pigs, yesterday was cows. We had a small group of 7 village bank members that gathered round in the same, dark living room with listening ears and curious faces. We set up the projector and had "movie" time again. These women have been raising animals for practically their whole life, so they know a thing or two. But, as Esperanza said, "Sometimes you just aren't sure if you are raising your animals the best way and we don't have anyone to ask. This was good because we got to ask questions about our cows." They learned some hygiene and nutrition tips, along with recommendations to control disease. I learned a thing or two, too.
Paz ~ Nora
Yesterday we finished a three week crochet course. 14 loan recipients learned how to make baby blankets. The group met every Thursday for 3 weeks; which for some was just enough time, and for others, well... their poor little blankets are still very little. (Don't worry, our unfinished blankets will be finished by the crochet class next month, when the students will bring their work to class again) What I really appreciated about this course was that Nelly, our crochet teacher extraordinaire, lead the group with her soft, gentle leadership, individual coaching each participant in their work. I talked with all the women in the class yesterday about other possible crochet/knitting projects. They were not short of ideas. In fact I think we have enough yarn projects to bring us through the end of the year. This makes my job easier. When the women are eager to learn and know what they want to learn, I can plan it. Make it happen. Next yarn project: children's sweaters. Paz ~ Nora
This is a little overdue, please forgive me. After months of good health, the cold/flu bug has attacked and much of my energy has been going towards the cold fight this week. 
