The Question Game.

This is the first time I blog for DiscoverHope.  It is very fitting that this writing is happening exactly on the anniversary of the very first event I attended for this wonderful organization: Band Together For Hope. A year later, I am typing away from the courtyard of a hotel in Cajamarca, Peru, DiscoverHope’s birth place.

Why am I involved with this organization?  As a Latino, I was very moved by the fact that the founder and all its “Boardies” were not.  How could a woman that had no connection to the Latino culture be so dedicated to empowering women living in poverty in Latin America?  I had to learn more about it and I had to get involved.  I thank Maggie for inviting me to witness the progress of the program and to meet the women we are empowering.

The first item on the schedule was a visit to the Hope House.  This is the development center where all the education and support happens for our women.  There are many Microcredit organizations around the world, but DiscoverHope goes a step further and provides education that teaches women real world skills that they can apply to starting their own businesses.  This is our Microcredit Plus model, pioneered by Maggie Miller.

We walked in to a sewing class where women were learning the necessary skills to start their own businesses.  I must say that nothing could have prepared me to deal with the emotions that flowed within me.  All of the sudden, I knew exactly why I needed to make this trip. 

The class was waiting for us with their new sewing machines that they had purchased by fundraising on their own.  The machines will allow them to create clothing they will sell in their businesses.  The pride that the women showed in their faces was very moving.  A lot of these women deal with domestic issues and discrimination on a daily basis.  Machismo in this country, as in many others around the world, is very much alive and a harsh reality for women.  On paper, it is easy to understand why these women benefit from a program such as DiscoverHope. The reality, and real value in my opinion, is what a chart or report can’t show you.  These women are full of pride, perseverance, strength, and hope.  One by one, they introduced themselves to us they told us about how DiscoverHope gave them the tools to learn skills that sparked their own businesses.  What I saw is their confidence to look at our eyes and speak with pride about their accomplishments:  This is priceless.  Their kids, and especially their daughters, can grow up knowing that they can have their own power.

Everybody that knows Maggie knows that she is an amazing human being.  Spending time in Cajamarca, witnessing the impact that she has had in this community is a truly humbling experience.  Those of us lucky enough to be close to her know that she challenges us to grow every day.  You can count on having a “Daily Question” from Maggie right before the end of any day.  While at dinner, John and I got our “Question” for the day.  Her question was, “After your first day in Cajamarca, what is one thought you would like to share?”

After a day full of mixed emotions, I actually had been thinking about my answer to her question right after we visited The HopeHouse.  My answer was: After talking to the women we help, after listening to their stories, after witnessing the impact that we are having in their lives, … how could life, for me, could ever be the same?  We all have problems in our own lives.  It all seems so insignificant compared to the challenges that these women live with every day. 

I definitely know why I am part of this organization.  I know why I had to make this trip.  But, most importantly, I know why I was afraid to come here.  I have been “asleep” for so long, worried only about myself.  This trip, already on the first day, awakened me into reality and purpose.  I welcome you to dig deep and realize that, if you are even reading this note, you are a very fortunate person. 

I look forward to sharing more from my experience in Cajamarca through this blog and in person at the Gala on October 25^th.

Con mucho amor,

Hector

Spirit of Partnership...

We’ve had an amazing start to our journey in Cajamarca.  The women of the DiscoverHope village banks have greeted us with unbelievable openness and generosity.  As we settle into our journey this week, we have much to do in addition to visiting the women of the village banks and taking in local sights.

One of the objectives of our visit is to continue to ensure the long-term sustainability of the program in Cajamarca.  Sustainability is a critical component of our Loan – Learn – Lead - Legacy model. By transitioning the local administration of training and loans to local partners, we create a Legacy of the MicrocreditPLUS infrastructure in Cajamarca.  As our clients complete each loan cycle, they build their credit history.  Once they have reached their 9^th loan cycle, they will “graduate” to more traditional banking service organizations with a history of consistent savings. We’re currently in our 6^th loan cycle with 5 of our banks, so our first banks are only a few years from graduating!

During our visit, we are meeting with our local partner, Multicredit, to monitor the progression of our clients in their loan and savings path.  We are working with Multicredit to continue to assume additional ownership for the program as it grows.  

Enclosed is a team picture at our kick-off dinner with our Mutlicredit partners.  We’re also meeting with our village bank officers (promotoras) and Desiree, our Field Manager, and other key staff contributors to make sure they continue on the path of advancement. These are important tenants of the Lead and Legacy pillars of our model. 

We appreciate your continued support as we help create a sustainable Microcredit PLUS infrastructure in Northern Peru!

John, Hector, and Maggie

Final Preparations for Cajamarca Trip!

Only a few days until Maggie, Hector and I travel to Cajamarca to visit the incredible women of DiscoverHope Fund! 

We’ve been preparing for this trip the past couple of months.  Over that time, I have had the opportunity to talk to people about our trip, why we’re going and who we’re going to visit and I occasionally get the question, “Why Peru?”, or “Why not somewhere closer to home or in the U.S.?”  Good questions.  Peru is a long way from Austin, TX. 

While we do have roots in Peru because Maggie lived and worked there for 2 years, that doesn’t answer the question of why we stay there.  We could have moved or chosen a different location to develop our MicroCredit PLUS model, but we didn’t. 

We’re there because we have the ability to facilitate huge change in people’s lives with a relatively small investment.  We’re there because a loan of just $100 to a women who lives on less than $2 / per day is life changing.    It’s a place where $25 provides a training course for a room full of our clients who are eager to learn.  It’s a place where there is no other microcredit alternative for the poorest of the poor. And it’s a place where women want and need what we provide.

DiscoverHope -- this tiny little grass-roots non-profit in Austin, TX, that is continually lifted up by you, our steadfast supporters, generous donors and tireless volunteers, is literally changing the lives of thousands of people for the better.  We’re developing and perfecting a model that can be used again and again in any part of the world.  And our first site is in the northern highlands of Peru where we can support our clients in making a huge impact on their own lives and those of their families.

In a few days, Maggie, Hector and I will be ambassadors for the entire family of DiscoverHope supporters as we visit the towns and villages where lives have been changed.  Having been involved with DiscoverHope for almost 5 years now, I am humbled and honored to make this trip and very excited to see the faces or our clients, hear their experiences, and share in their hardships and successes, if only for a few days.

I think the famous quote by Margaret Mead embodies the spirit of both our DiscoverHope supporters and the incredible women we serve:

"Never underestimate the power of a small, dedicated group of people to change the world; indeed, that is the only thing that ever has."

In gratitude,

John

Voyage to Peru & Annual Gala on Oct 25

Dear DiscoverHope Family,

As we prepare for the annual DiscoverHope gala on October 25, I wanted to write you personally as I prepare for a return trip to Cajamarca Peru from Sept 27-Oct 7. This time, I am honored to share the journey with my fellow Board superstars, incredible Board Chair John Thornborrow and new Boardie positive powerhouse Hector Dominguez.

I truly hope you can join us at the gala where we will be returning from fresh inspiration and community building in the northern Andes.  I am so privileged to take this voyage with these two mentors and friends. 

John has been at the Heart of DiscoverHope since shortly after our formation as a nonprofit in 2006.  He is one of the most committed and compassionate people I know and has led our Board with absolute vision for many years.  John and his family are Legacy Donors who support an entire community village bank of women to receive several loans a year as well as customized business support to maximize their education and resourcefulness. I am truly excited for John to be greeted by their bank of women (El Girasol “The Sunflowers”) and their families out in the field.  We will be sure to capture the beautiful images for the gala!

Hector entered our Board family with absolute dynamism this past spring.  He brings the core leadership of a practiced and successful entrepreneur who marries his passions of technology and social impact.  There’s nothing more inspirational than learning from a World Changer who sees tech as a solution to give power to help people globally.  It will be quite an experience to watch him in our computer classes and marvel at effect that $100 microloan can have for an entrepreneur.

For DiscoverHope, this trip is about the beginning of a discussion about transition into local sustainability. Our view is that good international development means you give the power to people to use facilitate their enterprise.  Sustainability for us is not only about finances; it is about community well-being and leadership.  We will begin the conversation with our local partner to hire a local woman organizer to take the helm of HopeHouse program development in the field. Des (our Program Director from US who lives in the field) will step out of this role into more of a governance role and train the locals to begin to assume coordination and management. 

My very first days in Peru were accented by powerful women making the most unselfish of choices to raise their children on $2 a day.  One unmistakable pattern I will never forget in the hundreds of life-changing conversations was that every woman spoke of her absolute willingness and desire to give her family a future. Give a handUP, not a handout. Give the power to make a sustainable life for children.

And here we are!  I can’t wait to write you from the field.  Stay tuned and so hope you can join us on Oct 25 to celebrate women entrepreneurs both inAustin and beyond.

Loving Always!

Maggie

DiscoverHope Founder

You Are Invited to An Evening in the Andes - Oct 25

We are so grateful for the generous support of our Presenting Sponsors

     www.hartintercivic.com

www.verdtek.com

Thank you to the many organizations and individuals who support DiscoverHope through their donations to our live and silent auctions.

Success, Sustainability, and Smiles

Hello DHF Family,

Greetings from wintery Cajamarca! Its times like these that I long for a day in the warm summer sun back in Texas with a cheesecake snow cone in hand. Here in the HopeHouse we’re currently in our 6^th month of educational trainings and I thought it would be great to highlight our greatest achievements to date.

*100% Payback Rate Maintained

*26 active village banks, 5 founded earlier this year

* 266 loan recipients

*305 educational trainings in the HopeHouse and in Community

*199 Business Assistance activities

*$6,304.00 recorded profits due to educational trainings

*$1,920.00 recorded savings due to educational trainings



Sewing Students presenting their handmade skirts.



None of these achievements would be possible without the support of our local partner, Multicredit, and our hardworking staff, Berth and Karina.  Now in our third year, not only have the number of village banks, loan recipients, and trainings doubled, but our commitment to long term sustainability and ownership is more solid than ever.



Natividad proudly displaying her business



As we approach 2013, DHF will begin planning our most important step thus far in which we will slowly begin to hand over administrative and financial responsibility to Multicredit. Doing so fulfills our mission of providing local  institutions in Latin America with the knowledge and “know-how” to sustainably manage village banking projects utilizing our Microcredit PLUS Model.

To make this goal a reality, I’m excited to announce that Founder, Maggie Miller; Board President John Thornborrow; and our newest Board Member, Hector Dominguez will travel to Cajamarca, Peru at the end of September to witness first-hand the power of microloans and education.

I continue to be amazed at how our family of donors and supporters continue to grow and inspire me on a daily basis. Thanks for your prayers, well wishes, and unwavering belief in our mission. Such positive energy keeps me strong and proud to be part of this amazing labor of love.

Rosa finishing her embroidery.

Happy Friday and Well Wishes to All!

Des



Save the Date: Gala & Auction, October 25