July 2006 Newsletter
Co-partners of Campesinas
901 Second Street, Alexandria, VA 22314 703-548-6713
E-mail: heinzen@verizon.net www.copartners.org
Co-partners of Campesinas
901 Second Street, Alexandria, VA 22314 703-548-6713
E-mail: heinzen@verizon.net www.copartners.org
Co-partners of Campesinas is a US based, 501(c) 3 tax-exempt organization that supports New Hope and other associations working for
women’s education and empowerment in developing countries in Latin America. New Hope (La Nueva Esperanza in Spanish) is an
organization of sixty rural girls and women from four impoverished communities near Ilobasco, El Salvador, who meet weekly to learn
income-producing skills and advance the education of members and their children. To attend meetings members may walk for several
hours or travel by pick-up truck. ADIK is a women’s Asociación para el Desarrollo Indigena de El K’iche (ADIK) organization located
outside of Chichicastenango, Guatemala with goals similar to New Hope’s.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Micro Credit in Guatemala
Micro credit for increased family income is the main activity of the Guatemala program. Increasing women’s income is an
important development strategy because women are more likely than men to spend their income on children’s health and schooling.
Most members of the Asociación para el Desarrollo Indigena de El K’iche (ADIK) produce traditional weavings or crafts for sale
in the Chichicastenango market; two members are engaged in animal husbandry; and one makes and sells tamales. The Chichi
market that operates on Thursdays and Sundays is the largest indigenous market in Guatemala. ADIK members, who live in villages
near Chichi, are ideally located to take advantage of the market, but competition is stiff.
The Chichi Market
The ADIK women meet once a month to collect loan payments, discuss new ideas, and coordinate activities. One member maintains
loan records and payments are deposited in the bank following each meeting. There is sufficient social pressure in the group to
produce a -0- delinquency rate. ADIK is currently on its third eight-month loan cycle, with each cycle leading to slightly larger
loans. Interest is charged at commercial rates and used to capitalize the fund. Members are required to make a savings payment
each month. Once the loans are paid, members can withdraw the savings, but they are encouraged to continue to save.
During the 2006 Guatemala trip, a volunteer worked with ADIK members to carry out a rapid evaluation of their experiences as
borrowers. Members reported that they earn between $225 and $350 a month. Differences in earnings are due largely to the time
individual members spend in productive economic activities. Some women sell in the Chichi market while others sell through
intermediaries. One women sells in markets throughout Guatemala. The women registered high satisfaction with the micro credit
program and asked Co-partners to increase the amount of the loans.
The Challenge of Computer Centers
For the last four years, volunteers have taken donated computers to both Guatemala and El Salvador. Computer
knowledge is required for high school graduation, but rural students rarely have access to computers and private
computer schools are expensive. Co-partners provides classes to give students a grounding in basic programs such
as Word, Excel, and Power Point. A new initiative will introduce students and their parents to email and Web access in
one of the several internet cafés found in both Ilobasco and Chichicastenango. The cafés charge about 50 cents an
hour. This year volunteer Jim Heinzen spent much of the visit hauling computers to repair shops and reinstalling them.
At departure, eight computers were working in the Ilobasco center and two in Guatemala. Arrangements were made for
a technician to maintain the computers in Ilobasco. The Chichi computers were moved to a new location and a new
teacher was hired.
Ilobasco teacher sporting a donated T-shirts
Most Popular Class: Corte y Confección
For the thirteenth year corte y confección (dressmaking) remains the most popular class in the Ilobasco, El Salvador center. High
enrollment in both the beginning and advanced classes have made the center’s three cutting tables so crowded as to make work
difficult. In this year’s participatory evaluation of “What could make the classes better?” students asked for additional cutting tables
and a larger supply of reasonably priced ($1/yard) material that they can buy for practice projects. During the June visit, two new
tables were ordered and additional material for resale was purchased.
The preceding picture shows one of the El Salvador teachers wearing a “La Nueva Esperanza” T-shirt that was part of this year’s
donation. Co-partners received a donation of over 60 miss-printed T-shirts. A cooperative T-shirt company was able to overprint
the shirts to convert them to organization shirts.
Co-partners of Campesinas, Board of Directors
Archer Heinzen, Chairperson
Jim Heinzen, Treasurer
Donna Breslin
Marie Keefe
Joanne Murphy
El Salvador Assistant
Vacant
Guatemala Volunteers
Catalina Ventura
Tomasa Guarcas Sis
La Nueva Esperanza, Board of Directors
Rosa Flores, President
Evelia Flores, Vice-President
María Delmy Bran, Secretary.
Maria Eduvina Peña, Treasurer
ADIK, Board of Directors
Ana Suar, President
Josefa Larios, Secretary,
Candelaria Ignatio, Treasurer
Sebastiana Toh, Vocal
women’s education and empowerment in developing countries in Latin America. New Hope (La Nueva Esperanza in Spanish) is an
organization of sixty rural girls and women from four impoverished communities near Ilobasco, El Salvador, who meet weekly to learn
income-producing skills and advance the education of members and their children. To attend meetings members may walk for several
hours or travel by pick-up truck. ADIK is a women’s Asociación para el Desarrollo Indigena de El K’iche (ADIK) organization located
outside of Chichicastenango, Guatemala with goals similar to New Hope’s.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Micro Credit in Guatemala
Micro credit for increased family income is the main activity of the Guatemala program. Increasing women’s income is an
important development strategy because women are more likely than men to spend their income on children’s health and schooling.
Most members of the Asociación para el Desarrollo Indigena de El K’iche (ADIK) produce traditional weavings or crafts for sale
in the Chichicastenango market; two members are engaged in animal husbandry; and one makes and sells tamales. The Chichi
market that operates on Thursdays and Sundays is the largest indigenous market in Guatemala. ADIK members, who live in villages
near Chichi, are ideally located to take advantage of the market, but competition is stiff.
The Chichi Market
The ADIK women meet once a month to collect loan payments, discuss new ideas, and coordinate activities. One member maintains
loan records and payments are deposited in the bank following each meeting. There is sufficient social pressure in the group to
produce a -0- delinquency rate. ADIK is currently on its third eight-month loan cycle, with each cycle leading to slightly larger
loans. Interest is charged at commercial rates and used to capitalize the fund. Members are required to make a savings payment
each month. Once the loans are paid, members can withdraw the savings, but they are encouraged to continue to save.
- Volunteer coordinator Tomasa Guarcas
- recording data on members’ loan experiences
During the 2006 Guatemala trip, a volunteer worked with ADIK members to carry out a rapid evaluation of their experiences as
borrowers. Members reported that they earn between $225 and $350 a month. Differences in earnings are due largely to the time
individual members spend in productive economic activities. Some women sell in the Chichi market while others sell through
intermediaries. One women sells in markets throughout Guatemala. The women registered high satisfaction with the micro credit
program and asked Co-partners to increase the amount of the loans.
The Challenge of Computer Centers
For the last four years, volunteers have taken donated computers to both Guatemala and El Salvador. Computer
knowledge is required for high school graduation, but rural students rarely have access to computers and private
computer schools are expensive. Co-partners provides classes to give students a grounding in basic programs such
as Word, Excel, and Power Point. A new initiative will introduce students and their parents to email and Web access in
one of the several internet cafés found in both Ilobasco and Chichicastenango. The cafés charge about 50 cents an
hour. This year volunteer Jim Heinzen spent much of the visit hauling computers to repair shops and reinstalling them.
At departure, eight computers were working in the Ilobasco center and two in Guatemala. Arrangements were made for
a technician to maintain the computers in Ilobasco. The Chichi computers were moved to a new location and a new
teacher was hired.
Ilobasco teacher sporting a donated T-shirts
Most Popular Class: Corte y Confección
For the thirteenth year corte y confección (dressmaking) remains the most popular class in the Ilobasco, El Salvador center. High
enrollment in both the beginning and advanced classes have made the center’s three cutting tables so crowded as to make work
difficult. In this year’s participatory evaluation of “What could make the classes better?” students asked for additional cutting tables
and a larger supply of reasonably priced ($1/yard) material that they can buy for practice projects. During the June visit, two new
tables were ordered and additional material for resale was purchased.
The preceding picture shows one of the El Salvador teachers wearing a “La Nueva Esperanza” T-shirt that was part of this year’s
donation. Co-partners received a donation of over 60 miss-printed T-shirts. A cooperative T-shirt company was able to overprint
the shirts to convert them to organization shirts.
Co-partners of Campesinas, Board of Directors
Archer Heinzen, Chairperson
Jim Heinzen, Treasurer
Donna Breslin
Marie Keefe
Joanne Murphy
El Salvador Assistant
Vacant
Guatemala Volunteers
Catalina Ventura
Tomasa Guarcas Sis
La Nueva Esperanza, Board of Directors
Rosa Flores, President
Evelia Flores, Vice-President
María Delmy Bran, Secretary.
Maria Eduvina Peña, Treasurer
ADIK, Board of Directors
Ana Suar, President
Josefa Larios, Secretary,
Candelaria Ignatio, Treasurer
Sebastiana Toh, Vocal
