“Doing it by ourselves”

Welcome to APOYO’s quarterly newsletter!

Six years ago, while identifying potential entrepreneurs in one of the San Miguel’s poorest villages, we met a group of women that wanted to start a small business to improve the quality of life for themselves, their families, and their community.

After graduating from APOYO’s business educational program, and with the assistance of an interest-free loan, we can say with pride that these women have started to become financially independent.     Although  it  wasn’t  always  easy,  the women achieved their goals of forming a successful Beekeeping business  and strengthening their community.

A Very Big Announcement!

The Beekeeping Business, the group of rural entrepreneurial women has been given a new free interest loan from Apoyo to expand their business by buying materials and register their brand.

“We decided to apply for this loan even though we did not

have any experience writing business plans, but we asked ourselves: If we do not do it by ourselves…  who  is  going to do it?”

- Hilaria  a Rural Entrepreneur

Like this group of entrepreneurs, in January six other women with individual businesses were given an interest-free loan to expand their businesses after attending an educational workshop on business management.

APOYO works in 12 rural villages and low income neighborhoods  with  different  groups of entrepreneurial men and women. APOYO provides mentoring, management support and interest-free loans to start or expand a small business.

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Expanding our services

In January ,  Apoyo  expanded the variety of educational workshops at our new vocational center. The new facility for a Vocational Training and Community Resource Centre (VTC) is aimed at empowering local entrepreneurs through training and livelihood generation. We provide technical and soft skills for the comprehensive development of the participants. This new center is a training and job oriented growth project.

We are serving more and more hardworking people!

19 students in the electricity course.

20 students in the caregiver course.

10 female entrepreneurs in the small business technology course.

25 entrepreneurs in the English course.

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Making coalitions

APOYO and the Midday rotary club, forged  a partnership to educate and help local entrepreneurs with an Educational micro lending program. Among the objectives are for them to become financially independent, and to live as productive citizens who set and achieve their life goals.

APOYO provided a series of talks on business planning, administration, development of self-esteem and   leadership training. 20 entrepreneurs participated in the business workshop provided by APOYO.   6  small business owners received a free interest loan…….

Congratulations to these future entrepreneurs!.....

Mamás program:

Women who inspire and become new role models in their communities

This Project has the purpose of improving the well-being of the family unit in poor rural villages through education of the women, raising awareness of healthy living and to teach skills to women in order for them to create and sustain a nutritious food supply and generating income producing activities,  allowing them to become financially independent.

For the first time.

We have 85 women participating in this program!

Mamás Program sponsors workshops and seminars to  include nutrition, environment, leadership development, health, and reproductive rights. The program serves  7 rural villages in the municipality of San Miguel de Allende.

In each village women community leaders attended  educational workshops on health, nutrition and entrepreneurship.

Besides that, in April we are going to expand a family gardens program in 2 of those 7 villages and create 12 new women's cooperative. We appreciate the support of The Community Church of San Miguel and House of Welcome for the growth and expansion of this program.