My Story...

How Microdevelopment Has Helped Me

(Madeline Halanoca’s story as told to Casey Ruiz)

I had been a nurse for many years making very little money but I had always dreamed of becoming an artist. Then I received a loan from Surgir (EMI’s partner organization in Peru) so that I could craft beautiful jewelry.

Every week I purchase large bags of fish scales called “paiche,” a fish found in the jungle rivers near my home. With home-made metal tools I punch various shapes out of these scales. I carefully paint them and then wire the pieces together to make different styles of earrings.

Since I began this profession, I have exported my jewelry to places as far as Bolivia and Brazil plus I sell them to local vendors. Because of Surgir’s loan I make more money than I did as a nurse and am able to employ two of my children to help me pound the scales into shapes. I sometimes even hire other people in the neighborhood to assemble the earrings. I take great pride in my craft.

Surgir has helped so many people with this loan. It has directly allowed me to provide food for my children and it has helped me develop my talents.

Thank you Surgir and EMI!

Sadia's Success

Mindanao, Philippines is locally called the “Land of Promise” due to its mountainous terrain, rich sea life, and the abundance of tropical fruits. Unfortunately, it is also notorious for the protracted wars and conflicts between separatists and the government. Peace-loving people wait helplessly in the hope that they will no longer be caught in between gunfire.

This is the story of Sadia Tumarumpong, a Filipina who was able to lift herself and her family out of this dire situation.

When she was 10, Sadia’s family was driven out of their home. They moved from place to place to find shelter, but as rebel groups attacked, the family had to evacuate numerous times. Then, Sadia married Kazim and they began their own family. They decided to settle in Manila to find better employment and leave the war-torn province.

Urban life in Manila was unkind to the family. Kazim managed to obtain only seasonal work at construction sites so Sadia opened a small convenience store in their house and earned $2 on a good day.

One day, her husband found a PMDF (Mentors’ partner organization in Manila) flyer. Sadia read about the program and her dreams of providing a better future for her family led her to attend a PMDF training session and receive her first loan.

She used her loan to open a halo-halo (a cold snack consisting of mixed fruits served with crushed ice and milk) business. With sound financial discipline and a dream to keep her going, her business steadily survived and improved.

Sadia is currently on her ninth business loan cycle and also operates a dry goods store. Her enterprising spirit has even brought her into the world of real estate. With this income, she was able to buy their home and send her children to college.

“I grew up very, very poor and surrounded by the constant terror of war. It brings tears to my eyes to think of how much has changed,” said Sadia. “My life is completely different now because PMDF took a chance on me. I have developed a sense of social responsibility and leadership. I have removed myself and my family out of poverty and have truly achieved self-reliance.”

From Mentors Client to Mentors Employee

For many years, Oscar Abarca and his wife Veronica, both natives of Nahuizalco, El Salvador, went from door to door selling women’s shoes. They would buy the shoes with their credit card and make the minimum $28 payment each month. The Abarcas realized that it would take years to pay off the card and were frustrated because their business was not succeeding. Then, they heard about Mentors.

Mentors taught them to buy their shoes from a shoemaker, sell their shoes to stores, and create a catalog with pictures of their shoes. Once they made these changes, Mentors gave them their first loan. Soon, they had greatly multiplied their number of clients plus they were able repay Mentors in five months. They also hired three employees whom they paid on commission. Within a year, their monthly income went from $150 to $300.

Oscar was happy with his newfound success but desired to help his friends and neighbors who were similarly struggling to get out of poverty. He convinced Mentors to open a branch in his town and, because of Oscar’s past experience in business and sales, he was hired as its loan officer.

Oscar now has an average of 50 clients a week and adds on 10 new clients each week. Ninety-five percent of his clients repay their loans on time.

“I see in Oscar someone who is not only a good employee but someone who has the innate desire to pull his friends and neighbors out of poverty as well. What an admirable quality,” said Carlos Rivas, executive director of Mentors in El Salvador.

The Abarcas are now able to live comfortably. Veronica has maintained their flourishing shoe business, which sometimes makes as much as $400 per month. So much in their life has changed because of Mentors’ help.

“I love working for Mentors. Carlos Rivas has helped me understand that assisting the impoverished is one of life’s greatest accomplishments. Their successes fuel me and make me very happy,” said Oscar, with a smile on his face.

Mentors Is Now On uPlej

We have recently joined a charity social networking site which enables us to raise funding for Mentors simply by inviting people to join the site. It's called uPlej (pronounced, "You Pledge").

We invite you to join our uPlej network by visiting our profile page at www.uPlej.com/MENTORS and clicking on the little blue link at the top right corner that says, "Join Our Network." You can pick your own favorite charity to support, and if you join OUR uPlej network, one dollar will always go to help support Mentors so long as you are a member of uPlej. It's $4.79 a month and you can quit at any time.

Once you've become a "uPlejer" create a profile page for yourself and start inviting your friends to join your uPlej network. For every person that joins YOUR uPlej network (up to 3 degrees of separation), one dollar will go to support the cause that you are most passionate about.

Online giving increased 42% just last year. It is a way for anyone, both young and old, to make a HUGE difference for charity. A little bit really does go a long way! Be sure to go to www.uPlej.com/MENTORS and start making a difference today.

Mentors Gala To Benefit Impoverished Worldwide

You may now buy tickets to Mentors’ fourth annual fundraising gala on by logging on to our website at http://www.enterprise-mentors.org/. Our special event will be held on Friday, November 7 at the Grand America Hotel ballroom in Salt Lake City and will include a special performance by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

Over 300 Mormon Tabernacle Choir members will sing at the fundraising event and Mack Wilberg, a critically-acclaimed music arranger and the Choir’s conductor, will prepare a unique program for guests. The Choir, long hailed as America’s Choir, has sung for 10 presidents, has won Emmy and Grammy awards, and has sold millions of records.

Lloyd Newell, the voice of the oldest continuous nationwide network radio broadcast in America, Music and the Spoken Word, will be the master of ceremonies at the event and a special humanitarian award will be presented at the gala as well.

“This event began as a simple dream and exploded into a beautiful reality that will benefit the lives of countless individuals. The Choir brings with it a following of millions from diverse backgrounds and their performance can only result in miracles along the way,” said Debi Gilmore, chair of Mentors’ advisory council.

In addition to online registration, you may purchase tickets by calling 1-866-748-9565. Mentors looks forward to seeing you at this singular event!

Friends of Mentors Return From Inspiring Field Trip To Central America

From July 6-12, thirteen friends of Mentors, from ages 13 through 92, traveled to El Salvador and Guatemala to witness microfinance firsthand. Hosted by Mentors’ partner organizations in Guatemala and El Salvador, the field trip participants learned firsthand about urban and rural micro-development by meeting the clients who are working their way out of poverty.

“On the trip, I learned that Mentors not only provides microloans but it more importantly gives the impoverished hope,” said Lloyd Newell, a field trip participant who is also the master of ceremonies at Mentors’ annual fundraising event. “Once the clients have that jumpstart from Mentors, they finally have that glimmer of hope that their lives really can improve,” he continued.

The field trip began in El Salvador where visitors met with Mentors clients including Maria, a prosperous pillowmaker, Jose, a well-off brickmaker and the Deodanes family that now makes piñatas for stores in the United States.

“The piñata family really touched me. I could see the pride in their eyes as they explained how each of them are involved in creating one piñata. The children, the workers and even the dogs are happy. Here is a family literally in the middle of the jungle and yet they are prospering and fulfilling their dreams,” said Shellie Warren, another field trip participant.

The trip continued with a visit to Mentors Guatemala where travelers met with clients including Maria, a weaver with a booming business and Maximo, a successful strawberry farmer (see both stories above).

“What really impressed me about Mentors is its focus on training and education. In addition to business training, Mentors is teaching clients how to become more healthy and sanitary. Their willingness to improve is inspirational and I am so glad I came,” concluded Robert Marx, a 92-year-old field trip participant.

Mentors next field trip is scheduled for February 19-28, 2009 to the Philippines so mark your calendars and let Mentors know as soon as possible if you can attend this unique and unforgettable experience.

Mentors Report From The Summer Interns

This summer, Mentors has employed two interns with accomplished financial backgrounds. Jake is obtaining a bachelor's degree in finance at Westminster College in Salt Lake City while Dale is more than halfway through his MBA program at Thunderbird School of Global Management in Glendale, Arizona. Here are their first impressions of their time at Mentors:

My first week interning at Enterprise Mentors International (Mentors) has been quite an enlightening experience. I learned about the microfinance industry while pursuing my MBA at Thunderbird in Arizona but, as usual, application of book knowledge to the real world has proven to be a new learning curve. Fortunately, I have the guidance of Mentors' knowledgeable staff combined with my interest in the industry to assist me in gaining the necessary knowledge to accomplish the projects I have been given this summer.

Mentors staff discussed the needed work done and presented us with prioritized tasks to be completed. I chose to work on as many finance-related projects as I could to further my skills in that area. The largest project was tightening up the financial reporting from partner organizations and creating a meaningful standardized report for the staff here in Draper. This has required that I gain a thorough understanding of the relationship and operations between the home office and all of the partner organizations. My understanding grows more each day. This new knowledge helps me gain a better framework in which to help Mentors in these tasks. I look forward to learning more about microfinance and building a strong relationship with the Mentors staff.

~Dale McIntosh

Since I began my internship here at Mentors I have learned more about microfinance than I thought was possible. It has been enlightening to see how this industry, and Mentors in particular, can be such a positive influence so many people’s lives around the world. I have also gained a great appreciation for the amount of work it takes to keep an organization like Mentors up and running. In the short week that I have been here, I have been given many opportunities to help out.

One of my projects involves updating the information about Mentors on a website called Mix Market. This website ranks different microfinance institutions on a number of variables such as how current the information is. Keeping this information up to date is a key part of getting a "good score" on Mix Market.

I have also been given a chance to be a part of creating and analyzing some of the financial models they use here at Mentors. Being able to participate in this process has really helped me gain some valuable insight into the financial world. During my first week I have also had a chance to get to know the staff a bit and they are all great people. They have been incredibly helpful and patient with me as I have been learning how things work and I look forward to working with them during the rest of my internship.

~Jake Mendenhall