by Kyra Coates

Maria Pu is 41 years old and has 7 children. She is a tomato farmer in rural Guatemala, and lives surrounded by steep terrain and green hills. In 2014 she wanted to increase her crops, yet had no capital to do it.

“There are not many organizations that give loans to farmers because of the risk in agriculture due to bad farming practices or the weather,” said Maria. “Also being a woman, they do not take us as seriously.”

So she came to Friendship Bridge, and is now a member of a Trust Bank, and part of our Women’s Agriculture Credit and Training Program. Every month she meets with her fellow Trust Bank members for further training on modern farming techniques. Now after three years she is successfully watching her farm grow. Through all seasons, turmoil, successes, she has had Friendship Bridge Trust members and facilitators supporting her step-by-step along the way, and they aren’t the only ones.

Thousands of miles away in Colorado there is a family of four that month-by-month is supporting Maria and her training as well as other Friendship Bridge clients, though Maria has never heard their names before. They are Matthew and Angie Brand, parents to Sara, 2, and Ava, 1. The Brands are members of Friendship Bridge’s monthly giving program, called the Cada Mes Club. Their monthly donations support programs like the one Maria is a part of. They also volunteer their time with staff members at the Lakewood, CO office. Matthew helps with website and SEO optimization, and Angie takes on a variety of projects as needs arise. The Brands shared with us their thoughts on why they choose to support Friendship Bridge.

Friendship Bridge: “Why did you decide to join the Cada Mes Club?”

Brands: “We switched to the Cada Mes Club in 2017 in order to smooth out our donations throughout the year. Prior to that, we sporadically donated, but would often forget the schedule and then play catch up at the end of the each year in order to meet our personal donation goal. We have our donations scheduled with our bank to send a check monthly now and it’s better for our budget and hopefully helps Friendship Bridge with planning as well. “

FB: “What made you choose Friendship Bridge as an organization to support?”

Brands: “We found Friendship Bridge through Charity Navigator. It was important to us to give to a four star charity so that we knew our money would be used wisely. We identified with the mission of bringing people out of poverty because we feel that is how our money can have the biggest impact.”

FB: “Why do you volunteer your time?”

Brands: “We both started volunteering our time last fall. Angie has translated a Spanish document and Matthew is providing support and feedback on the website. Since Angie quit her job to stay at home with our children, we have less capacity to donate money, but like to offer our skills as somewhat of a substitute. Volunteering has also helped us learn more about the organization.”

FB: “What would you tell others who are thinking about joining Cada Mes or volunteering their time?”

Brands: “Anything that you can do, even if it doesn’t seem like much, will help others and make the world a better place.”

We here at Friendship Bridge want to thank the Brands for their generous support, as well as all our members of the Cada Mes Club, and all our volunteers. We wouldn’t be able to have the impact we do without you, so clients like Maria Pu can continue on her journey of having a thriving business to support her family and community.

by Rachel Turner

For the following nine weeks, Friendship Bridge is proud to present the photo series, Faces of Empowerment.  The women you will meet in this series are strong, smart, and determined to better their futures.  Welcome to the first photo of Faces of Empowerment.

“Each month after I come home from the Friendship Bridge education session, I talk to my daughter, Yani, about what I’ve learned. It’s exciting to pass on to my daughter what I’m learning about how strong and capable women are. Before I came to Friendship Bridge, I always heard that men know more than women, but Friendship Bridge has elevated us women and encouraged us by teaching us that men and women have the same value, and they should have the same rights. We are to be equally valued. This is the lesson I’ve remembered most and the one that I teach my daughter often.”
-Doña Arasely, Friendship Bridge Client

Friendship Bridge clients continue along their monthly journeys, making loan payments and receiving monthly Non-Formal Education lessons on the four pillars – women, family, business, and health.  The Cada Mes Club, our monthly donors, follows this journey closely. The Club’s support is integral in providing this life-changing education. This quarter, we’re teaching clients how to manage business logs.  Click here to learn how to join the Cada Mes Club.

by Hannah Perkins and Marta Ixtuc

The United Nations’ International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples is recognized annually on August 9^th. “Women are given little opportunity for development, but we have potential,” says Sebastiana, a Guatemalan Friendship Bridge client. “So, I thank Friendship Bridge for having me as a client. Now, I not only have capital to work with, but I also have knowledge. I have learned a lot during the monthly trainings, especially in the management of money, budgeting, health, and other topics.”

The International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples brings awareness to the achievements and contributions that indigenous people make to improve world issues including human rights, the environment, health, education, and economic and social development. Mastering the art of weaving at just 12 years old and marrying by 15 years old, Sabastiana only attended school up to the first grade. After finding Friendship Bridge four years ago, she obtained microloans and educational training. Sabastiana now manages a traditional textile shop that her daughters run, a “nixtamal” (corn cleaning/grinding mill), and an animal husbandry business (chickens, pigs, and turkeys). Through the opportunities Friendship Bridge creates she has also been able to provide education for her children up to the sixth grade.

Friendship Bridge is a registered 501©(3) nonprofit organization that empowers impoverished Guatemalan women to create a better future for themselves, their children and their communities through microfinance, education, and health services. Friendship Bridge works primarily with indigenous populations in rural areas where the rate of poverty in Guatemala is the highest. Half of Guatemalan children under five suffer from chronic malnutrition and more than 60% of indigenous women are illiterate.

Why focus on women like Sabastiana? Globally speaking, women make up 70% of the world’s poor, and typically invest up to 90% of their income in their families and communities. Sabastiana’s time working with Friendship Bridge has empowered her to expand her business effectively, while investing in her family’s well-being by sending them to school and providing a healthy living environment. Investing in women and indigenous populations around the world improves universal issues and helps close the gap on formal recognition and understanding of current policies.

Hannah Perkins, Friendship Bridge Communications Intern, hails from Maine and recently graduated from Susquehanna University with a degree in Communications, Multimedia-Broadcast and a minor in Women’s Studies.

Marta Julia Ixtuc is the Communications Coordinator in Guatemala. Based in Sololá, she continues seeking to support the development of Guatemalan women in search of their own ways out of poverty.

Thanks to Photolease and the Cada Mes Club for making it possible to provide services to Sebastiana and other Friendship Bridge Clients.