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Navojoa, Sonora, April 8, 2019.  On April 2, the Eva de Camou Foundation, a partner in the implementation of Project VIVE: Come, Be Inspired, and Sell, presented its annual report at the “Romeo Gómez Aguilar” Municipal Auditorium in Navojoa, Sonora; During the presentation, the training of 152 people on sales and the prevention of violence against girls and women was highlighted. During the presentation event, Karen Priscila Castro, Operations Officer for the VIVE Project, commented that “at the VIVE Project, we seek the economic empowerment of Mexican women; which is why we offer them tools to address inequality through training in sales, advocacy, customer service, life skills, and the prevention of violence against girls and women.” Download the manual on the prevention of violence against girls and women here. In 2018, the Eva de Camou Foundation partnered with The Trust for the Americas to train 152 people in the communities of Huatabampo and Ciudad Obregón. It is important to note that 80 percent of those trained were young people from the Huatabampo Institute of Technology. In attendance at the event were: María del Rosario Quintero Borbón, Mayor of Navojoa; Fernando De la Mora Romo, Mexican tenor; Raúl Camou Rodríguez, Vice President of the Eva de Camou Foundation; Daniel Camou Campoy, Vice President of the Foundation; Marisela Melgar Aguilar, Executive President of the Eva de Camou Foundation; and Víctor Guerrero González, Secretary of Education and Culture for Sonora. The VIVE Project is implemented by The Trust for the Americas with support from the Walmart Foundation and currently operates in 14 states across Mexico. Between 2016 and 2018, it trained more than 51,000 people nationwide. Of the total number of people trained, more than 38,000 are women (40% of whom are heads of household). In addition, nearly 7,000 people were connected to economic opportunities (86% of whom were women; 60% were placed in full-time jobs, and 21% became self-employed or launched entrepreneurial projects).

Con esta alianza se suman 70 sede en el Estado de México para implementar el Proyecto VIVE –Ven, Inspírate y Vende-y fortalecer el empoderamiento económico de las mujeres mexicanas. Las beneficiarias podrán acceder a la cartera de cursos que imparte Fundación Proacceso. Ciudad de México, 5 de abril de 2019.- Fundación Proacceso, Socio Local de The Trust for the Americas desde al año 2015 se suma, por segundo año consecutivo,  a la implementación del Proyecto VIVE: ven, inspírate y vende, en 70 Centros de la Red de Innovación y Aprendizaje (RIA) que tienen en los diferentes municipios del Estado de México. Para consolidar esta alianza, las instituciones firmaron un convenio de colaboración ante personas beneficiarias en el municipio de Ecatepec de Morelos. Durante el evento Francisco Landeros, Director Ejecutivo de Fundación Proacceso, resaltó que “es un día muy especial porque tenemos a presencia de representantes de un aliado muy importante llamado The Trust for the Americas. Esta alianza nos permite ofrecerles herramientas que les ayudarán a tener mejores capacidades. Ahora no sólo basta tener los conocimientos laborales sino también adquirir habilidades personales, por eso es valioso tener el Proyecto VIVE aquí”. María Fernanda Sierra, Gerente del Proyecto VIVE, mencionó  “The Trust for the Americas busca impulsar el desarrollo de las mujeres que vivan alguna condición de vulnerabilidad, a través de la capacitación para brindarles herramientas de preparación para el trabajo y habilidades prácticas que les ayudarán a ser autosuficientes. Por ello, es de suma importancia afianzar relaciones colaborativas con instituciones como Proacceso”. Una de las beneficiarias, Norma Tellez, egresada del Proyecto VIVE en Ecatepec de Morelos, compartió que en 2017 cursó la capacitación del Proyecto VIVE, ahí aprendió a vender y a tratar a un cliente. Dijo que “pensé en buscar un trabajo, pero tengo un hijo con discapacidad y no quería descuidarlo”. Luego de terminar su capacitación en ventas y atención al cliente, Norma inició un curso de repostería y después uno más en diseño gráfico. “Me siento muy agradecida con la Fundación Proacceso y con Proyecto VIVE porque ahora tengo mi propio negocio y ya diseñé mi propia marca” comentó. El Proyecto VIVE se implementó en 2016 gracias al apoyo de Walmart Foundation, y durante estos años fueron beneficiadas más de 51 mil personas, el 78 por ciento mujeres. El proyecto logró capacitar a más de 51 mil personas a nivel nacional en dos años. Del total de personas capacitadas, más de 38 mil son mujeres (40% de las cuales son jefas de familia). Asimismo, cerca de 7 mil personas fueron vinculadas a oportunidades económicas (86% mujeres, 60% fueron vinculadas a un trabajo de tiempo completo y el 21% se auto-emplearon o iniciaron proyectos de emprendimiento). Sobre The Trust for the Americas: The Trust for the Americas es una Organización sin fines de lucro afiliada a la Organización de Estados Americanos (OEA) cuya misión es promover alianzas para la inclusión económica y social en las Américas. Establecida en 1997, The Trust fue creado para la participación del sector público, el sector privado y las iniciativas de la sociedad civil en el desarrollo social y económico en América Latina y el Caribe. Las iniciativas de la organización mejoran el acceso de las comunidades a oportunidades económicas, mejor seguridad ciudadana y oportunidades para la expresión democrática y la gobernabilidad.  The Trust for the Americas ofrece a las organizaciones locales asociadas, instrumentos de capacitación, servicios, productos y asistencia técnica para servir mejor a las comunidades vulnerables de la región.  Visite: www.trustfortheamericas.org  www.trust-oea.org/vive Facebook: The Trust for the Americas ProyectoVIVEmx  Twitter:   @Trust4Americas  @ProyectoVIVEmx Sobre Fundación Proacceso: La Fundación Proacceso es una organización sin fines de lucro con 10 años de trayectoria que tiene por misión contribuir al desarrollo económico y social de las personas en comunidades vulnerables, impulsando habilidades y competencias a través del impacto positivo de la tecnología. Su proyecto principal es la Red de Innovación y Aprendizaje (RIA), que consiste en un conjunto de 69 centros de inclusión digital en 34 municipios del Estado de México, donde niños, jóvenes y adultos acuden para desarrollar sus capacidades digitales para la educación, empleabilidad y emprendimiento. 

Tijuana, Baja California, 8 de abril de 2019. La empresa gasolinera Rendichicas se sumó a la iniciativa de The Trust for the Americas llamada Proyecto VIVE: ven, inspírate y vende, para capacitar a 30 mujeres en los temas de atención al cliente y prevención de violencia hacia las niñas y las mujeres. Sara González, vinculadora del Proyecto VIVE en Tijuana, comentó que “la empresa emplea a mujeres que fungen como despachadoras de gasolina, pero el objetivo es impulsarlas a través de la capacitación para que puedan tener un crecimiento dentro y fuera de la empresa”. A través de la vinculación que realiza Sara González, la empresa abrió sus puertas para que 30 mujeres que ya laboran ahí, pudieran adquirir herramientas para mejorar sus estrategias de atención al cliente, además de conocer más sobre los tipos de violencia, cómo identificarla y qué hacer en caso de vivirla. Descarga el manual aquí “Inicialmente, está alianza es para beneficiar a las mujeres de Tijuana, pero esperamos que se sumen las sucursales de Mexicali, Baja California; Hermosillo y Obregón, Sonora y Chihuahua, Chihuahua”, dijo la vinculadora. Alejandra Aguayo, beneficiaria del Proyecto VIVE, mencionó que “yo batallaba mucho para sonreír al cliente, era algo que no se me daba. El primer día del curso nos pusieron un ejercicio para que reconociéramos como se veían las personas cuando no sonríen y me quede pensando que así me veo yo, por esa razón cambie mi actitud. Ahora me va mejor en la venta de litros (de gasolina) y por ende en la parte económica. ¡Me gustó mucho la capacitación!”. El Proyecto VIVE es implementado por The Trust for the Americas gracias al apoyo de Walmart Foundation, actualmente tiene sedes en 14 estados de la República Mexicana, sumando cada día. Entre 2016 y 2018 capacitó a más de 51 mil personas a nivel nacional. Del total de personas capacitadas, más de 38 mil son mujeres (40% de las cuales son jefas de familia). Asimismo, cerca de 7 mil personas fueron vinculadas a oportunidades económicas (86% mujeres, 60% fueron vinculadas a un trabajo de tiempo completo y el 21% se auto-emplearon o iniciaron proyectos de emprendimiento).

Tijuana, Baja Califronia, 8 de abril de 2019. La empresa gasolinera Rendichicas se sumó a la iniciativa de The Trust for the Americas llamada Proyecto VIVE: ven, inspírate y vende, para capacitar a 30 mujeres en los temas de atención al cliente y prevención de violencia hacia las niñas y las mujeres. Sara González, vinculadora del Proyecto VIVE en Tijuana, comentó que “la empresa emplea a mujeres que fungen como despachadoras de gasolina, pero el objetivo es impulsarlas a través de la capacitación para que puedan tener un crecimiento dentro y fuera de la empresa”. A través de la vinculación que realiza Sara González, la empresa abrió sus puertas para que 30 mujeres que ya laboran ahí, pudieran adquirir herramientas para mejorar sus estrategias de atención al cliente, además de conocer más sobre los tipos de violencia, cómo identificarla y qué hacer en caso de vivirla. Descarga el manual aquí “Inicialmente, está alianza es para beneficiar a las mujeres de Tijuana, pero esperamos que se sumen las sucursales de Mexicali, Baja California; Hermosillo y Obregón, Sonora y Chihuahua, Chihuahua”, dijo la vinculadora. El Proyecto VIVE es implementado por The Trust for the Americas gracias al apoyo de Walmart Foundation, actualmente tiene sedes en 14 estados de la República Mexicana, sumando cada día. Entre 2016 y 2018 capacitó a más de 51 mil personas a nivel nacional. Del total de personas capacitadas, más de 38 mil son mujeres (40% de las cuales son jefas de familia). Asimismo, cerca de 7 mil personas fueron vinculadas a oportunidades económicas (86% mujeres, 60% fueron vinculadas a un trabajo de tiempo completo y el 21% se auto-emplearon o iniciaron proyectos de emprendimiento).

The three institutions will collaborate to implement the VIVE Project—Come, Be Inspired, and Sell—and strengthen the economic empowerment of Mexican women. With this partnership, six states in Mexico will join the implementation of the VIVE Project. The project’s beneficiaries will participate in a Pitch Tank to access seed capital or business loans to grow their ventures. Mexico City, April 2, 2019.—The Trust for the Americas has formed a partnership with PROMUJER and CREA, institutions specializing in working with women entrepreneurs, to expand the implementation of the VIVE Project to 14 states in Mexico. To solidify this partnership, the institutions signed a collaboration agreement. During the event, María Fernanda Sierra, Manager of the VIVE Project, explained that this collaboration represents a step forward because “it allows us to join forces to empower women in Mexico and Latin America.” She also explained that the VIVE Project was launched in 2016 thanks to support from the Walmart Foundation, and over the years “we have benefited more than 50,000 people, 78 percent of whom are women living in vulnerable circumstances who are seeking to expand their technical and personal skills to improve their financial situation and quality of life.” For her part, Natalia Villapando, Director of CREA: Comunidades de Emprendedores AC, said that in 2017 “we served 893 women who received entrepreneurship loans through PROMUJER, and the findings were very interesting, because 91 percent of those women reported having experienced some form of violence. For this reason, in 2018 we formed a partnership with the VIVE Project, which implemented a module on the prevention of violence against girls and women; through this, we not only empowered them in their entrepreneurial endeavors but also in their daily lives.” In her remarks, Natalia Wills, Partnerships Officer at PROMUJER, emphasized that the institution has been working for years on the personal empowerment of women, but “we always like to go further; that’s why we seek out other institutions, and we’re delighted to join forces with the VIVE Project and The Trust for the Americas, which have demonstrated that their methodology works and can provide more tools to women entrepreneurs.” This partnership will enable 11 women from 14 states across Mexico to access seed capital to grow their businesses and further their economic empowerment. The training covers topics such as customer service, sales, entrepreneurship, personal skills, and the prevention of violence against girls and women. The VIVE Project has trained more than 51,000 people nationwide over the past two years. Of the total number of people trained, more than 38,000 are women (40% of whom are female heads of household). In addition, nearly 7,000 people were connected to economic opportunities (86% women; 60% were placed in full-time jobs, and 21% became self-employed or launched entrepreneurial projects). According to the independent evaluation (GENERA 2018), graduates of the VIVE Project feel empowered after participating, with an increase in their self-perception and ability to make decisions independently without the intervention of others.  More than 75% of the female graduates perceive an increase in their ability to make decisions independently, with an increase of between 20% and 60% percentage points between the treatment group and the control group. About The Trust for the Americas: The Trust for the Americas is a nonprofit organization affiliated with the Organization of American States (OAS) whose mission is to promote partnerships for economic and social inclusion in the Americas. Established in 1997, The Trust was created to facilitate the participation of the public sector, the private sector, and civil society initiatives in social and economic development in Latin America and the Caribbean. The organization’s initiatives improve communities’ access to economic opportunities, enhance public safety, and foster opportunities for democratic expression and good governance.  The Trust for the Americas offers local partner organizations training tools, services, products, and technical assistance to better serve vulnerable communities in the region.  Visit: www.trustfortheamericas.org www.trust-oea.org/vive Facebook: The Trust for the Americas ProyectoVIVEmx Twitter:   @Trust4Americas @ProyectoVIVEmx About CREA Comunidades de Emprendedores Sociales, A.C. For the past 10 years, we have been developing and implementing programs with proven impact to empower and support women entrepreneurs and business owners in socially and/or economically marginalized areas. At CREA, we share knowledge through educational programs that strengthen both soft and hard skills. We seek to make a difference in the lives of women entrepreneurs who want to launch a business idea or expand an existing one. About PRO Mujer Regional: Founded in 1990 in Bolivia, Pro Mujer is a leading social enterprise driven by its mission to empower women in Latin America through a range of financial, health, and skills-development services that help them reach their full potential. Over the past 29 years, Pro Mujer has disbursed more than $3.6 billion in small loans, provided more than 9 million health services, and impacted two million women in Argentina, Bolivia, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Peru.

The VIVE Project—Come, Be Inspired, and Sell—trained 22 women in the municipality of Los Cabos in Baja California Sur. Ana Karen Salomón, a community liaison, and Xóchitl Salvidar, the project facilitator, noted that thanks to their outreach efforts, they were able to complete two training sessions in one week. The first group consisted of 10 women—single mothers—who receive support from the nonprofit organization Los Niños del Capitán. “This partnership was established with support from México Giveaways. The women received training in customer service and the prevention of violence against girls and women,” said Ana Karen Salomón. Los Niños del Capitán provides academic support and daycare for the children of mothers and fathers living in vulnerable circumstances. Another course concluded in the town of Palmas, in the same municipality, where 12 women living in the community organized themselves to receive training from the VIVE Project on the topics of customer service, sales, marketing, advocacy, Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Resume Writing, and Prevention of Violence Against Girls and Women. The Trust for the Americas continues to work in coordination with local organizations to provide economic opportunities and benefit more women in Mexico.

75 Indigenous women from the Wirrárica community in Mezquitic received training in sales and customer service. Jalisco, Mexico, March 22.—In 2016, Trust for the Americas launched the VIVE Project: Come, Be Inspired, and Sell—with the goal of providing tools to women in vulnerable situations. After nearly three years of work, we have succeeded in making an impact on women in addiction rehabilitation centers, women incarcerated, women who are victims of domestic violence, and some indigenous women’s communities. On this occasion, thanks to a partnership with Desarrollo Rural Sustentable LU’UM A.C., the VIVE Project reached La Cebolleta and La Laguna, two Wirrárica indigenous communities located in the municipality of Mezquitic, in the state of Jalisco. Over the course of a week, “I met women who lack the basics for daily life but strive every day to obtain them,” said Laura Hernández, a VIVE Project liaison who traveled for more than 7 hours to reach her first destination: La Cebolleta. La Cebolleta “After arriving in Mezquitic, I traveled another three hours toward La Cebolleta, driving along roads through the mountains. When we arrived, I was struck by how far apart the houses were from one another. Most are small, simple adobe houses, though some already have rainwater collection systems. This has benefited the community because the spring is an hour’s walk away,” said Laura Hernández. La Cebolleta is considered one of the most marginalized communities in Mexico; it has about 180 residents. Laura noted that “some homes already have electricity; they use firewood for cooking; the floors are dirt; and the bathrooms are outhouses with a curtain. It’s a community where the weather is extreme.” Its main economic activities are based on agriculture and the sale of handicrafts; the latter has opened important doors to paid work for women, though not with the economic independence that was hoped for. “It’s a community with deep-rooted traditions—some very beautiful, like the love for the land and all living things; others not so much, such as arranged marriages. I remember a 15-year-old girl who told us that her grandmother had already betrothed her, but she didn’t want to get married.” Laura Hernández, project liaison. The women in the community still do not speak Spanish, though some of them understand it. However, this was not a barrier preventing 45 Wirrárica women (known as Huichols—a term they describe as “offensive”) from receiving training in sales, customer service, and marketing. “Only the girls and boys speak Spanish; the adult women don’t, but thanks to LU’UM, I had the support of a translator who helped us make the course easier to understand. It was a unique experience because the day I arrived, they were already waiting for me; they were excited and eager to learn what I would teach them,” said the VIVE Project coordinator. Laura explained that thanks to LU’UM’s work, the women of the Wirrárica community have greater autonomy, but they are still “very serious. They told me that about nine years ago, if someone wanted to speak with a woman, a man from the community or her husband had to be present, and they would answer on her behalf. This time, they were the ones who answered all the questions, and that made me very happy.” After three days in La Cebolleta, Laura traveled for 45 minutes to the community of La Laguna. La Laguna “Access to La Laguna is more complicated; it’s all dirt roads and steep slopes—the scenery is breathtaking. The name doesn’t actually refer to the place, because there’s no water in this community either—there’s no lagoon. I visited this community because there were about 30 women who wanted training, but the conditions weren’t right for them to go to La Cebolleta.” La Laguna is also considered a highly marginalized community in the municipality of Mezquitic, Jalisco, where the sale of handicrafts plays an important role in the local economy. For this reason, the topics covered were sales, customer service, and marketing. “Most people are a bit rough around the edges when it comes to making sales; they don’t know how to treat people, and they don’t realize that they’re shoving things at customers or that their manners aren’t appropriate—that’s why we decided to offer this training,” explained Laura. “We thought we were serving customers well,” said Amalia Rodríguez, a graduate of the VIVE Project from La Cebolleta, who makes embroidered crafts such as earrings, bracelets, and necklaces. She told us that they had sold their goods before: “We thought we were serving our customers well, but in the course Laura taught us, I realized we were missing a lot. I liked the training; now I feel more confident. I know I can sell.” The women from La Cebolleta and La Laguna make trips to downtown Mezquitic to sell their products and have a community center where they also display them to people passing by. Desarrollo Rural Sustentable LU’UM A.C. has enabled women from these communities to travel to other states to sell and promote their products. “They already know the processes for pricing their products, but they lacked sales and customer service skills. Today, these 75 women have that knowledge thanks to the training provided by the VIVE Project.” Come back soon—there are still more women to come! “At the end of the training sessions, one of the participants told me, ”Come back soon—there are still more women to come!’ It was an experience I’ll carry in my heart, because I realized that The Trust for the Americas, through projects like VIVE, is making up for a little of what some people are missing,” said Laura Hernández.