“One Hope Ahead” With EduPaz
EduPaz - Mexico - Local Economies
Photo: Cecilia Monroy
The cooperative members of One Hope Ahead in their grocery store.
IDEX Program Officer, Katherine Zavala, traveled to Chiapas, Mexico to learn more about IDEX’s newest partner, Educación por la Paz (Education for Peace, or EduPaz).
Meeting EduPaz
IDEX supports EduPaz’s programs in economic development and agroecology, which focus on microcredit and technical assistance for 40 collectives and community groups. Communities work on projects such as livestock rearing, growing vegetable crops, and other income-generating activities.
Leonor saw a need for a grocery store in her community but knew that she couldn’t start such an undertaking alone.
In the community of Amparo Agua Tinto, Katherine met with many people who were taking part in EduPaz’s programs, including Leonor Vazquez Alvaro, a 53 year-old mother of 11 children ranging from 7 to 30. Leonor’s story – and her grocery store named “One Hope Ahead” – is a great example of EduPaz’s work.
Working Together
Leonor saw a need for a grocery store in her community but knew that she couldn’t start such an undertaking alone. She proposed the idea of a grocery store to her family and neighbors. Over many cups of coffee, they developed the idea of having a cooperative to run the grocery store together and finally approached EduPaz to see if the cooperative could take out a microloan to get the store up and running.
EduPaz not only provided a loan to establish the grocery store, but they worked with the all female group to facilitate the development of the cooperative. They gave guidance on cooperative management and, when asked, talked with the women’s husbands to ensure they were supportive and on board.
Turning a Profit
In its first six months, the store is going strong and generating revenue of approximately $40 a day. Leonor and her group decided to reinvest all their earnings in the first year back into the grocery store. Just as impressive, the women have been able to develop their own savings plans. Every month they each save 30 pesos ($2.30).
Once the store is more established, and profits grow, each group member will be able to take a salary for household consumption. This is just one of many ways IDEX partners and grantees are working to end poverty in their communities.
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