Elizabeth Laredo Castro, Economic Opportunities Officer for the VIVE Project – Mexico

The end-of-year holidays are approaching, and the global crisis caused by COVID-19 has led us to turn to virtual platforms as a tool to continue and expand our projects. In this context, Trust for the Americas aims to highlight the ventures of the individuals we’ve trained through their projects to recognize their efforts and connect them with potential customers during this special time of year.   Below are the requirements to join this special “End-of-Year Bazaar” edition which will take place on December 10, 2020. Participation requirements must be met by November 27, 2020, at the latest. Registration questionnaire. Questions to answer in the video. General introduction to yourself and your venture (elevator pitch) Remember for your pitch For more tips on how to make your video, check out this tutorial in which Ma. Fernanda Barragán, Project VIVE Facilitator, teaches us how to give an elevator pitch.  Submission deadline: Friday, November 27, no later than 12 p.m. (Mexico City time).  *If you don’t have a Facebook page for your startup, ask us about the Proyecto VIVE tutorial. * On the afternoon of Friday, November 27, those selected for the live stream will be contacted.   Fernanda Barragán, Project VIVE Facilitator, will be available to answer any questions or provide clarification. Contact: vcelaya@20.9.190.97 or by phone at 461 275 0968 

Trust for the Americas and the Municipality of Toluca, through its “Environments of Peace and Development” program, extended their collaboration agreement through October of this year with the goal of promoting women’s economic empowerment and, thereby, preventing violence against women and girls. Juan Rodolfo Sánchez Gómez, Mayor of the capital of the State of Mexico, and Ma. Fernanda Sierra Perea, VIVE Project Manager, signed the agreement this week, confirming Trust for the Americas’ commitment to train more women in Toluca.  The courses are based on an innovative model that incorporates the use of digital tools, social media, and mentoring sessions designed to help participants develop the skills needed to access employment, transition their businesses to digital platforms, and identify and prevent violence against women. The collaboration between Proyecto VIVE and Ambientes de Paz y Desarrollo began in early 2020 with in-person training for more than 50 women who developed skills for employability and entrepreneurship. This training culminated in a major Diploma Ceremony and Women Entrepreneurs’ Bazaar held on March 5 at the Plaza de la Constitución in the city of Toluca. There, all the graduates had the opportunity to present their businesses and sell their products to the general public. The event was attended by Norma Alicia Soto Aceves, M.A., Coordinator of the Municipal “Ambientes de Paz” Program; Dr. María de Lourdes Medina Ortega, Director General of the Municipal Institute for Women; Dr. Fernando Galindo Cruz, Director of Community Prevention; Mónica Lucía Arellano Aguilar, Head of the Community Police Department; and Klaudia González, National Coordinator of the VIVE Project. In her message to the graduates, Klaudia emphasized that women’s economic independence is a key factor in reducing vulnerability and preventing gender-based violence. The VIVE Project has been implemented in Mexico by The Trust for the Americas since 2016, thanks to support from the Walmart Foundation. The project aims to provide tools that enable women’s economic development and offer them alternatives to improve their economic situation and that of their families. Between 2016 and 2019, it trained more than 60,000 people nationwide. Of the total number of people trained, more than 55,000 are women (40% of whom are female heads of household). In addition, nearly 7,000 people were connected to economic opportunities (86% women; 60% found full-time employment, and 21% became self-employed or launched entrepreneurial projects).

The VIVE Project was launched in Mexico with support from the Walmart Foundation; to date, it has trained more than 54,000 Mexican women in technical and life skills to help them secure better economic opportunities. We have helped nearly 20% of our graduates find a job or start their own business. However, in March 2020, we faced a global challenge that led us to rethink both our training program and the strategy through which we could provide additional support to our community—all without direct or in-person contact with either the beneficiaries or our partner organizations. In response to the COVID-19 crisis, VIVE migrated all its activities to accessible virtual platforms; we incorporated the use of social media to foster direct interaction with participants and designed Monitoring and Evaluation strategies to guide our plans. Thanks to the surveys we conducted, we discovered that one of the most pressing challenges for our community of graduates is the negative impact that the contraction of the national economy is having on their families. According to official data, more than one million jobs were lost throughout Mexico starting in March. Furthermore, the business sector has been severely affected, particularly micro and small businesses, many of which have been forced out of the market. To strengthen the employability component, Proyecto VIVE created a Talent Bank that will compile relevant information on the needs and profiles of our graduates in order to connect them with potential employers and provide them with guidance during the selection process. The VIVE-Trust Talent Bank was launched at a virtual event on July 9 via the project’s official Facebook page (@ProyectoVIVEMx). The event featured a tutorial video showing the registration process step by step, as well as an invitation to all women to join VIVE and take advantage of this and other tools. In addition, the first video from the Virtual Job Fair—a complement to the talent bank—was presented, featuring information on the recruitment process at Manpower Group. The event featured Eduardo Almanza, Regional Manager of Training and Employability at Manpower Group, a key partner of the VIVE Project. Eduardo Almanza assured the audience of more than 160 people that jobs are indeed available during the pandemic and that most companies are working closely with governments to ensure a safe return to economic activity. He also emphasized that VIVE’s training programs meet the needs and expectations of the labor market, as employers are seeking individuals with developed life skills, such as leadership and teamwork. Almanza also reflected on the gender gap in the labor market and how confidence is key for women to land the jobs we want. She therefore advised women to learn to recognize their own efforts, identify opportunities aligned with their interests, and above all, to go out and give it a try, since the only way to achieve our goals is by trying as many times as necessary. The full interview is available on our YouTube channel. Registration for the VIVE-Trust Talent Bank is completely free and voluntary and can be completed by clicking on the following link: http://bancodetalento.trust-oea.org/ The only requirement is that the interested individual be a graduate of any VIVE training course, including those in our Virtual Classroom. For more information on how to register, or if you’re interested in joining the project as an employer, please email us at oportunidades@20.9.190.97 About the VIVE Project The VIVE Project: Come, Be Inspired, and Sell was launched in Mexico by The Trust for the Americas in partnership with the ManpowerGroup Foundation and with support from the Walmart Foundation in the United States. In 2016, the VIVE Project was launched with the goal of promoting the economic empowerment of Mexican women through training in technical skills—such as sales, promotion, and customer service—as well as life skills, including entrepreneurship, effective communication, and leadership. The training is aimed at women over the age of 15 who are in vulnerable situations. VIVE has operated in 184 municipalities across 28 states in Mexico. In 2018, The Trust for the Americas added a course on the prevention of violence against girls and women to the VIVE curriculum. About the Walmart Foundation: Together, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation typically provide more than $1 trillion in cash and in-kind contributions to support programs that align with their philanthropic priorities. The Walmart Foundation focuses on areas where it can do good—combining the unique strengths of the business with philanthropy. The Walmart Foundation aims to create greater social impact. Today, Walmart.org, through the combined philanthropic efforts of Walmart and the Walmart Foundation, creates opportunities for people to live better every day.

The VIVE Project, which has been in operation since 2016 thanks to support from the Walmart Foundation, has trained over 54,000 Mexican women in technical and life skills to help them achieve better economic opportunities. Nearly 20% of our graduates received assistance from our team in their search for employment or in starting their own businesses. However, in March 2020, we faced a global challenge that required us to rethink not only our training program but also the strategy through which we provide additional support to our most vulnerable communities, without having direct contact with either our beneficiaries or our partners. In response to the COVID-19 crisis, VIVE moved all of its activities to accessible virtual platforms, including social media to foster direct interaction with our target population, and designed Monitoring & Evaluation tools to help us develop our plan. Through these surveys, we discovered that one of the most pressing challenges for our alumni community is the overall negative impact of the national economic downturn. According to official data, more than a million jobs have been lost in three months across Mexico, and it is also a very difficult time for micro and small businesses to thrive, with many of them going out of business. To strengthen our employability component, we created a Talent Pool that will gather relevant information about our beneficiaries’ needs and profiles in order to match them with potential employers who meet their eligibility criteria and provide guidance during the selection process. The VIVE-Trust Talent Pool, known in Spanish as Banco de Talento VIVE-Trust,was launched during a virtual event on July 9 via the project’s official Facebook page (@ProyectoVIVEMx) and included a step-by-step tutorial on how to register, as well as an invitation to all women to join VIVE in order to access this tool and other program benefits. Likewise, the first video from the Virtual Job Fair—a complementary project to the talent pool—was presented during the event, outlining the path to employment at Manpower Group. The highlight of the event was an interview with Eduardo Almanza, Regional Manager of Training and Employability at Manpower Group, a long-standing partner of the VIVE project. Mr. Almanza assured the audience of over 160 viewers that jobs are available during the pandemic and that most companies are working closely with the government to ensure a safe return to economic activities. He also emphasized how well the VIVE training aligns with market needs, noting that employers are seeking people with strong life skills, such as leadership and teamwork. Eduardo also reflected on the gender gap in the workforce and how confidence is key for women to attain the positions they desire. He advised women to recognize their strengths, identify the opportunities that best align with their interests, and ultimately, go out and give it a try—since the only way to achieve our goals is by trying as many times as necessary. The full interview is available in Spanish on our YouTube channel. Registration for the VIVE-Trust Talent Pool is completely free and voluntary, and can be accessed by clicking on the following link: http://bancodetalento.trust-oea.org/ The only requirement is that the interested person has successfully completed any VIVE training course, including those from our Virtual Classroom (Aula Virtual). For more information on how to register or to join the initiative as a potential employee, please write to oportunidades@20.9.190.97 About the VIVE Project: VIVE means ”Come, be inspired, and sell” in Spanish. The Walmart Foundation supports this project, implemented in Mexico by Trust for the Americas in partnership with the ManpowerGroup Foundation. Since 2016, VIVE has sought to increase the economic empowerment of Mexican women through training in technical skills such as sales, retail, and customer service, as well as life skills like entrepreneurship, effective communication, and leadership. The training is aimed at low-income women over the age of 15 from vulnerable communities. VIVE has operated in 184 municipalities across 28 Mexican states. In 2018, Trust added a course on the prevention of violence against girls and women to the curriculum. In this way, the project’s objective is to help participants increase their chances of accessing formal economic opportunities in these areas, as well as to help prevent gender-based violence. About Walmart: Together, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation generally provide more than $1 billion in cash and in-kind contributions to support programs that align with its philanthropic priorities. The Walmart Foundation focuses on areas where it can do the most good—combining the unique strengths of the business with philanthropy. The ability to draw on Walmart’s business strengths—providing more than just funding—helps Walmart’s philanthropy deliver greater societal impact. Today, Walmart.org, through the combined philanthropic efforts of both Walmart and the Walmart Foundation, creates opportunities for people to live better every day.

Join us for the “National” edition on September 18, 2020! The global crisis caused by COVID-19 has led us to turn to virtual platforms as a tool to continue and expand our projects. In this context, Trust for the Americas, through the VIVE Project, aims to highlight the ventures of its graduates to recognize their efforts and connect them with potential clients.  Below are the requirements for joining the tenth “National” edition on September 18, 2020.

Co-authored with María Fernanda Sierra, VIVE Project Manager at The Trust for the Americas. At The Trust for the Americas, we are honored to contribute, through the VIVE Project, learning opportunities and a support network for women during the COVID-19 pandemic. We are also grateful for the Walmart Foundation’s support of these efforts. In late March, we launched a successful digital strategy to offer training and quality content to women who have completed the VIVE Project as well as new participants. This strategy is based on the following key points: 1. Virtual online sessions: In late March, the VIVE Project launched a series of virtual courses so that women can learn from home. This series builds on the success of the pilot for the Digital Component developed in late 2019. The sessions align with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommendations on social distancing and the current COVID-19 crisis, utilizing virtual and innovative measures to continue delivering our training programs. 2. Exclusive Content for Graduates: We have designed exclusive content for women who are graduates of Proyecto VIVE. These resources have been shared via Facebook, specifically in the private Facebook group “Proyecto VIVE Graduates Community.” This content includes video tutorials (on microenterprises) on how to use digital tools for sales, design creation, and managing digital platforms, among other topics. These videos range from 5 to 10 minutes in length and provide step-by-step instructions on how to use various tools. The content is designed for graduates with little or no digital literacy. Topics include: How do I create a Facebook page for my business? How do I register my business in the VIVE Women Entrepreneurs Directory? How do I use Microsoft Office to design posts about my business? Content with recommendations on how to promote their businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic: intended for graduates with advanced digital literacy. Recommendations on relevant training sessions to help their businesses weather the pandemic. At the end of 2019, we created a directory of women entrepreneurs, where graduates of the VIVE Project can register basic information about their businesses and promote them. We are responsible for publicizing the directory through our online community and with our strategic partners. For more information, here are the links to the blog and the directory. 3. Promote registration and use of the VIVE Women Entrepreneurs Directory: 4. Launch the Talent Bank to promote among our potential partners: Given that, despite our efforts, the business sector will be severely impacted during the pandemic, we aim to strengthen our employability component by creating a Talent Bank that we can share with our partners in the private sector, providing them with a list of potential employees who meet their selection criteria. 5.- “Hand Washing” Jingle: In 2018, we held a contest among our alumni to select the best “jingle” for the Project. Raquel Pedroza, an alumna from Mexico City, created the winning song. We revisited this jingle and turned it into a short video to promote proper handwashing (link to video). Raquel is an active member of our alumni community and participated in the Mexico City Pitch Competition Series in 2019. About the VIVE Project The VIVE Project—come, be inspired, and sell—was launched in Mexico by The Trust for the Americas in partnership with the ManpowerGroup Foundation and with support from the Walmart Foundation in the United States. In 2016, the VIVE Project began with the goal of promoting the economic empowerment of Mexican women through training in technical skills—such as sales, promotion, and customer service—as well as life skills including entrepreneurship, effective communication, and leadership. The training is aimed at women over the age of 15 who are in vulnerable situations. VIVE has been active in 184 municipalities across 28 states in Mexico. In 2018, The Trust for the Americas added a course on the prevention of violence against girls and women to the VIVE curriculum. About the Walmart Foundation: Together, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation typically provide more than $1 trillion in cash and in-kind contributions to support programs that align with their philanthropic priorities. The Walmart Foundation focuses on areas where it can do good—combining the business’s unique strengths with philanthropy. The Walmart Foundation aims to create greater social impact. Today, Walmart.org, through the combined philanthropic efforts of Walmart and the Walmart Foundation, creates opportunities for people to live better every day.