Description:
It was established
to provide women in poverty conditions micro-management
skills and knowledge through training, assessment
and financing (loans at very low interest);
therefore, these women in poverty conditions
will be able to create and to reinforce
their small businesses in order to be a
bread maker.
CREDIMUJER gives women two types of loans:
- Community Banks:
it’s a bank made of a group of 15
women, and each one receives around $100
- $200 under the fraternity concept.
- Individual Loans:
maximum loan amount is $1,000 to a woman
who wants to create a new small business
or to reinforce an existing one.
All women who are interested
in the program of community banks receive
a study guide with the program’s description,
and they must complete a basic exam in order
to be eligible to enroll the program.
Once they are eligible, CREDIMUJER provide
them:
|
Seminars
and briefings in the following areas:
micro management, basic accounting,
marketing, budget, and costs, human
resources, total quality business
planning, and others. |
|
BPW members and
CREDIMUJER staff gives motivational
briefings to women in order to develop
and keep their interests in the making
of their own business. In addition,
other subjects such as: health, children
education, gender and equity, family
budget. CrediMujer Board of Directors
does biweekly staff meetings; this
Board of Directors is composed by
BPW members in order to discuss and
solve any special matter. |
|
Frequently visits
of BPW members and CREDIMUJER staff
are done to keep track of women development
in their businesses in order to give
technical assistance to women in the
areas that they required. |
Results:
CREDIMUJER has granted
a total of $1.5M in community banks and
individual loans to women in poverty conditions
from the entire Republic including indigenous
women.
CREDIMUJER started
with an initial investment of 5k given by
all the Clubs, existing in that moment,
who were conformed by the Panamanian Federation
in 1992. In addition, BPW members obtained
donations and loans from government institutions
and other organizations to increase CREDIMUJER
assets.
|
Women
in poverty conditions benefits with
CREDIMUJER loans usually not eligible
for credit in other financial institutions
like banks. CREDIMUJER gives them
the opportunity to become self- economical
productive to our society and to their
families. |
|
CREDIMUJER is
the first financial institution in
our country base on the concept of
community banks (each one is compose
at least of 15 women and it has a
board of directors). |
|
Most of our
Panamanian hand crafting is made by
women living in the suburban areas
especially our indigenous. By helping
them in their hand crafting businesses,
we are keeping our traditions and
culture legacy to continue from generation
to generation. Some of the small businesses
developed by women are: hand crafting
(Panamanian hats and folkloric dresses),
groceries stores (regional fruits),
bakeries, restaurants (regional foods),
agricultural (pork and chicken raise). |
|
CREDIMUJER gives
direct employment to three women who
composed their staff: a general manager,
a secretary and a loan promoter. |
|
CREDIMUJER teaches
women the habit of saving money by
requesting them to save an amount
of money from the earnings obtained
from their business. |
|
CREDIMUJER provides
women not only with managerial education,
but with the different aspects related
to women environment and family with
the purpose of preparing them to run
their businesses and families. From
the total amount of women helped,
30% of the women who participated
in the program have only completed
elementary school, and CREDIMUJER
gave them the opportunity of receiving
administrative education to run their
small businesses. |
Number of Women being
Help: From 1996 until the present year CREDIMUJER
has helped through their community banks
and individual loans a total amount of 10,000
women.
Community
Banks Char |
Year |
Number
of women beneficiated |
Annual
Loans Amount
(in U.S. dollars) |
1996 |
21 |
$4,720 |
1997
|
130
|
17,900 |
1998 |
441 |
182,430 |
1999 |
2196 |
261,475 |
2000 |
1620
|
194,225 |
2001 |
1698 |
172,240 |
2002 |
1368
|
148,765 |
2003 |
1237 |
129,650 |
2004 |
1065
|
71,485 |
Total
|
9,776
|
$1,231,405 |
Project Team:
Since 1992, the project
team include:
- Magaly González
(President)
- Maritza Modestin (President)
Young BPW participation:
Judith Ríos
(Chairperson Intl. BPW)
Evidence:
Photographs of the
activities are attached.
Last update: year 2005 |
