Empower Ecuadorian Women to Elevate Communities

Everyday we are trying to contribute to the betterment of women and their livelihoods in Ecuador through the Mírame initiative! To us, that means working through an empowerment model where women have an opportunity to receive education and make decisions in their own lives!

Here are some of our most recent activities:

• Hearts of Gold is proud to announce that we launched our first Women’s Empowerment Conference “Contra Reloj!” 100 women from the Cuenca community gathered for a night of inspiration with three keynote speakers presenting on nutrition, self-care, and motivation! Thank YOU for making fabulous gatherings like this possible!

• We are honored to continue working with Kallpa Warmi, a women’s entrepreneurial and agricultural collective in the rural town of Sayausí!  Last month we led a group of 17 expats to spend a day in the country, learning about farming and culinary practices in support of Kallpa Warmi’s eco-tourism program. This month, we connected with the international CHANGE Magazine to feature the work of Kallpa Warmi and their endeavors as women to protect the agriculture and water of Ecuador. Check it out!

• Now we embark on a new research project to evaluate Kallpa Warmi’s “Cosechando Suenos” project. The Cosechando Suenos project is a local micro-credit initiative where 40 women and 4 men are investing in the group’s savings and receive micro-loans for their agricultural or entrepreneurial production. The inspiration behind this initiative is to give women a chance to escape abusive environments, beat the odds of the local economy and cycle of poverty, and achieve economic independence!

The pilot year of the initiative went very well and 45 micro-loans were disbursed and paid in full. Alongside Hearts of Gold, 4 students from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) are undergoing a research project to assess the success of the program, which loans and activities had more return on investment, and how the group is impacting social and gender-based issues in the rural town. We can’t wait to report back on what they find!

To ensure their success moving forward, we invite Kallpa Warmi to attend all capacity building programs we offer, along with mentoring hours to push their goals forward!

This cycle Kallpa Warmi participated in networking events to meet other local leaders, the Contra Reloj Women’s Empowerment Conference, and our second annual Somos el Cambio (“We are the Changemakers”) Seminar in Marketing and Communications.

We look forward to expanding Mírame’s programs with women’s groups in Cuenca and beyond! Stay tuned as we continue to grow and together empower women in Ecuador!

Links:

• Kallpa Warmi feature in CHANGE Magazine
• Follow us on Facebook