Giving Thanks to Villa Milagro & Medical Mission Team

DHF Family,



Juanita of VB "Friends Forever" waiting for meds

 

It was a day filled with hope and laughter. Yesterday, DiscoverHope participated in our first ever Medical Mission. Thanks to the generous support of Villa Milagro over 350 of our loan recipients, their children, and family members received free medical attention,vision and dental screenings, vitamins, and prescription meds at Monte Sion Medical Clinic. Women started lining up as early as 6AM and no one was turned away.

Last year I had the great privilege of meeting LarryJohnson, native Texan and co-founder of Villa Milagro Ministries, which provides Cajamarquinos with spiritual and economic support through specialized projects. We made a sweet deal that if I volunteered as a translator, Villa Milagro would invite our loan recipients to participate in a medical mission in 2012. This was probably the best deal I’ve ever made in my life! I'm also extremely grateful to the Mission Team comprised of doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, grandmothers, and grandchildren from Arkansa who selflessley and tirelessly gave of themselves. In the end, our women went away happy, relieved, and extremely appreciative to be a part of such an amazing event.

Thanks once again to Villa Milagro for your generous support. This is the beginning of a beautiful relationship!

Monte Sion Medical Clinic

Loan Recipients axiously waiting.

Playing games while waiting in line.

Best,

Des

Rockin' Out Microloans at Band Together for Hope

Hey DiscoverHope Family!!

The wait is over and our surprise is out. The headliner band for our 5th Annual Band Together for Hope event is... DEL CASTILLO! We hope you are as excited as we are.  Here are the event details:

HELP US ROCK OUT MICROLOANS FOR WOMEN IN POVERTY ON JUNE 15!   
What: 5th Annual BAND TOGETHER FOR HOPE
When: Friday, June 15, doors open 8pm 
Where: Ruta Maya 3601 S. Congress
Presented by: Consuela & VerdTek
Featuring: Soniquete Duet & a sexy, Latin-Flamenco-Rock Headliner (it's a secret until June 3!)
Ticket Info: $20 - tickets go on sale on June 3 atwww.lendhope.org or pay at the door. 
Make sure to follow us on Facebook , Twitter (@discoverHOPE), and LinkedIn for on-going event updates. 

PURCHASE TICKETS AT WWW.LENDHOPE.ORG 

Del Castillo wants YOU to come to Band Together for Hope 

See you soon,

Hannah

Social Media and Web Design Intern

Rockin' Out Microloans & Sendin' Mama Some Love

Hey there DiscoverHope family,

Can you believe it?  May is almost over and our month of celebrating mothers is coming to an end.  Don't fret though, you still have a few days left to send a little love to the mothers in your life by making a donation in her honor at www.lendhope.org

HELP US ROCK OUT MICROLOANS FOR WOMEN IN POVERTY ON JUNE 15!   
What: 5th Annual BAND TOGETHER FOR HOPE
When: Friday, June 15, doors open 8pm 
Where: Ruta Maya 3601 S. Congress
Presented by: Consuela & VerdTek
Featuring: Soniquete Duet & a sexy, Latin-Flamenco-Rock Headliner (it's a secret until June 3!)
Ticket Info: $20 - tickets go on sale on June 3 at www.lendhope.org or pay at the door. 
Make sure to follow us on Facebook , Twitter (@discoverHOPE), and LinkedIn for on-going event updates.

Check out last year's pictures and GET EXCITED!!!  

Hannah Dismuke
Band Together for Hope
Social Media & Web Intern

MEET OUR SUMMER INTERN!

Hello DiscoverHope friends and family!  My name is Hannah Dismuke and I will be working as the new Social Media and Web Intern this summer along side the wonderful marketing committee for DiscoverHope's 5th Annual Band Together for Hope fundraiser.  I could not be more excited to start a new chapter in my life through this opportunity.  I am currently a senior entrepreneurship major at Baylor University where I have competed for four years on the Lady Bear soccer team and participated as an active member of the Pi Beta Phi sorority.  Although I have a passion for athletics, photography, cooking and all things Texas, my heart truly lies in serving others.   Ever since I heard about DiscoverHope, I have entirely bought in to the mission for women in poverty to create their own prosperity through microcredit, entrepreneurship, and training.  My entire life I have always had big dreams and my greatest hope for the small role I will be playing for this incredible venture is to make the dreams of other women come true as well.   

Peace,
Charlotte
Development & Marketing Manager 

Celebrating the Joy of Motherhood in Cajamarca!

Good Morning DHF Family!

After getting some much needed rest and relaxation, I’m excited to share the highlights of our 2^nd Annual Mother’s Day Celebration. Yesterday was a refreshing and very gratifying reminder of why we dedicate so much time and energy into our village banking project here in Cajamarca, Peru. Our women are simply amazing and true testaments of what it means to sacrifice and persevere all in the name of motherhood.

To sum it up in a few words, it was afternoon of pure fun and relaxation. For three hours, more than 215 women from 22 village banks were able to forget about the stresses of raising a family and running a business and simply laugh, play, and spend quality time with their fellow bank members. Women played familiar games such as the egg toss, the balloon run, and  the three legged run. They also enjoyed artistic numbers prepared by kids who attend HopeHouse childcare services on a regular basis. The event culminated with a raffle in which we gifted two large baskets filled with rice, sugar, cooking oil, and other essential food staples. I've included a video of the event so you can see first hand how the events unfolded.

Organizing such an event was a huge challenge and required the help of our two Village Bank Promoters, HopeHouse Assistant, a Multicredit Intern, and yours truly. By the end of the day, we had filled 235 glasses of chicha morada (purple corn refreshment) and prepared 250 sandwiches, 300 appetizers, and 350 alfajores (small cookies filled with manjar blanco or dulce de leche).



HopeHouse Kids dancing a huayno for our moms.

For this blog entry we thought it would be interesting to share the thoughts and opinions of our two Village Bank Promoters, Bertha and Graciela, about the event. Both spend the majority of their day helping our members manage their loans and savings accounts and organizing personalized business consultations when challenges arise. Due to the nature of the work, the two have developed a close working relationship with all of our women.

 Bertha’s Words:

“Today was such an amazing day for me. When I visit the women’s businesses, they often share the hardships of being a mother. Many of our women are single parents with three of four children. In life we always need a moment to forget our problems and simply relax. Today seeing the faces of our women with smiles and laughter made me feel happy and proud to be a part of this incredible project. Happy Mother’s Day to all of the moms in the United States!”

Graciela’s Words:

In Peru, Mother’s Day is one of our most important holidays. A mother is the heart of a family.  She is responsible for raising the kids, maintaining the household, and often the primary bread winner. Today I was happy to be a part of the event. I had so much fun planning the activities and dancing with the women. I am use to seeing our women hard at work at their businesses and to see them laugh, dance, and play is refreshing. I’m so appreciative that DiscoverHope is helping the women of Cajamarca progress and provide a better future for their children. “

I’d like to end the blog entry thanking all of you for your generous support throughout the year. Our Mother’s Day Celebration would not be possible without you. As you prepare to celebrate the mothers and grandmothers in your life, I hope you also remember the women of Cajamarca who think of all of you on a constant basis.

Best,

Des

Mother’s Day is always a big event at DiscoverHope! 97% of the women we serve are mothers (or grandmothers) and May 13 is a revered Peruvian holiday. Family members from near and far will gather at Mom’s house on Sunday afternoon for a big shared feast.  Often the first born child will begin the meal with a tribute toast to mom, thanking her and expressing the family’s adoration.  And afterwards – music & dancing!

DiscoverHope is getting into the spirit by honoring our village bank moms on May 9.  We’re planning a fun fiesta with games, dancing, singing, and small presents for all the mothers and their families.  Afterwards, we’ll post a video (www.lendhope.org) so you can experience the joy of the event. 

As you ponder your own expression for Mother’s Day, please consider making a gift to DiscoverHope in honor of a mother in your life and the mothers of DiscoverHope.  You can honor a loved one by completing the dedication acknowledgement section on our donation page, and we will send a personalized Mother’s Day letter on your behalf.

 

DiscoverHope is building a family of inspired people – and nothing is more central to our mission than honoring the mothers we serve, like Rosa Montoya from Village Bank Mujeres Emprendedoras (Women Entrepreneurs).  Please join us in celebrating mothers and make a donation today!   

“DiscoverHope has offered me a wonderful opportunity to provide for my family. I now have the skills to advance my business and earn more money in the process. My vision is to eventually open a restaurant in my hometown of San Marcos. For the first time in my life, I believe that whatever I dream I can actually make a reality.”     
                                 – Rosa Montoya, 37 year-old mother of two

Please join us in celebrating mothers and make a donation today!   

 

HopeHouse Classes Back in Session

Hello DHF Family,



Delia Torres teaching jewelry class.



I’m excited to announce that the Hope House is officially open! Classes are in session! With great anticipation and careful planning I’ve been hard at work locating new teachers, new ideas, and new classes for our village banks. My hope is that our classes provide our women with new ways to expand their businesses and their bank accounts. Last week our newest addition to the project, Delia Torres, taught a class full of women three beautiful new earring designs and a fabulous bracelet. As we speak 15 loan recipients are learning how to make lemon pie with new Instructor Mari Marruffo…it smells so delicious! In addition to our traditional classes (Jewelry, Crafts, Culinary, and Crochet), I’ll be including Basic Computer Classes, Sewing, and Embroidery to our class listings in April.



Charo closing a deal with a customer.



In other news this past weekend Hope House Instructors and loan recipients, Charo Yupanqui and Alicia Linares participated in an artisan fair organized by the Instituto Nacional de Cultural (National Institute of Culture) in celebration of Artisan Day. You may remember that the mom/daughter duo participated in a national reality show in the search for the best crocheters in Peru. It was an exciting event and both Charo and Alicia sold more than $200 in crochet products. It was the first time that both began to view their work through the lens of an artisan. Thanks to the INC we’ll be participating in at least 3 more artisan fairs throughout the year!

Best,

Des

“What Progress Looks Like” & Other Reasons Why Our Annual Report is Actually Cool

Here in Austin, Cajamarca, & Chicago a team of folks are hard at work on our 2011 Annual Report, putting on the finishing touches -- at this point we’re in the whipped cream & sprinkles stage. Before I type another word – let me praise the goodness of Chicago’s own Tracy Kuramoto, our fantastic volunteer graphic designer. A true prince among men.

I know most annual reports are often met with respectful yawns. But I swear, ours is shaping up to be cool. Because we’ve got such good news to share -- 2011 was huge! We more than doubled in size in all key areas. It was inspiring to truly begin to see the evidence of stable, sustained prosperity in the lives of the women we serve.

One of those success points is another year of 100% loan payback. We think that’s amazing. Des, our newly married program director, blogged recently that Las Progresistas won our award for 2011 Village Bank of the Year…but we haven’t told you why they won. So, here’s a sneak peek of our annual report (look for it tomorrow on our homepage) and the back story of Las Progresistas to brighten your day.

Enjoy!

- Jennifer

WHAT PROGRESS LOOKS LIKE
DiscoverHope is proud to maintain a 100% microloan payback rate. A woman’s payback money directly circulates into additional loans for herself and her village bank. That does not mean, however, that no woman has ever defaulted on a microloan. That would be unrealistic. Instead, each village bank, as a group, takes ultimate responsibility to cover the microloan. Such adversity is rare, but when it happens, village banks persevere, overcome and ultimately become stronger.

Las Progresistas (Progressing Women) Village Bank is a fantastic example. Formed February 2010, the group faced problems when three members regularly missed repayment meetings and refused to contribute to their savings account. Naturally, group morale was low and a solution was needed. Instead of dismantling, the remaining members removed the incompliant women and invited trusted neighbors to fill the vacancies. They held fundraisers to pay off the former members’ debt. Las Progresistas now consists of nine members, all of whom are in the business of raising and selling small animals. A very strong team, they continue to organize small fundraisers but now use the proceeds to grow their savings accounts. During the holiday season members sold cups of delicious mazamorra, a popular hot drink made from boiling purple corn with pineapple, apples, cornstarch and lots of sugar and cinnamon.

Today, Las Progresistas truly live the definition of “progressing women.” In recognition of their perseverance, solidarity and strength, DiscoverHope proudly awarded Las Progresistas with the distinction of “Top Bank of 2011.”

Upon receiving the award, Isabel De La Cruz, the President of Las Progresistas said “We are proud to be this year’s Top Bank. As one of the original members I feel so blessed that instead of quitting, we decided to stay and make our bank a place where we can improve our businesses and learn new activities. Thank you, DiscoverHope.”