Peru Projects: Women's Production Project

  
  “Organizing Together We Develop Our Abilities and Promote Our Family Economy”  
 


CEFOPROH (Centre for Training and Promotion of Humanity) “Santa Angela”, Chiclayo
The majority women participants in this project were migrants from the mountains with little formal education who eked out an existence in the slums of the large regional city of Chiclayo.

 
  working Most were single mothers who, abandoned by the fathers of their children, were raising families on their own, washing clothes or finding other ways of working out of the home in exchange for small payments for their services. They were prey to sexual abuse and violence. They desperately needed a stable income with which to sustain their families. As a result of this project a micro-enterprise was formed through which to sell their handmade sewing and knitting products.  
 


Initially, many demonstrated timidity and lack of a sense of their value as persons. Hence, the project began with Self-Esteem Workshops to build self-confidence and a commitment to the enterprise. These were followed by training in Product Selection and Marketing. Throughout this initial period the women met for 3 hours twice a week to create product inventories and improve their sewing and knitting skills. This time together was an important source of friendship and mutual support. They learnt about marketing and business management and began presenting their products at regional artisan fairs. At the end of stage one, 10 of the women were committed to forming a micro-enterprise.

 
 


For a 12-month period from April 2008 to March 2009 these 10 women, who were eventually joined by 5 more, set up and began operating their micro-enterprise.  Through a participatory process they decided on the parameters and formalized its statutes according to Peruvian law. They defined product lines that have a distinct market. They learned about many aspects of product costing and business management and embarked on basic computer training. At the same time production continued and they acquired specialized techniques to give their products a unique “edge”. Many of the women had had little formal education and were unused to moving beyond their immediate neighbourhoods. Their new business requires them to make huge strides beyond their former comfort levels. It has resulted in new feelings of empowerment and self-esteem. For the time being, Centre Santa Angela is providing a supportive environment and accompaniment for the women as they continue on their long road to self-sufficiency.

  
     
     
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