Amanecer De La Mujer Group

In this Group:
Regina Gonzales Solier, Saturnina Duran Chacasana, Saturnina De La Cruz Palomino, Florentina Matamoroz Duran, Maribel Carbajal De La Cruz, Mayela Elvira Gomez De La Cruz, Maria Alminagorda Perez, Rosa Ana Solis De La Cruz, Norberte Taipe Escobar, Dionicia Quinto De La Cruz De, Susana Lanazca Baltazar

“Amanecer de la mujer” is a small rural community bank of FINCA Peru’s Wari-project which provides its credit with educational services in the rural areas of Huancavelica. Huancavelica is considered one of the poorest regions of Peru and has many limitations, being a very mountainous area (altitude ranges from 6,000 – 17,000 ft above sea level). People there also face the cold, the difficulty growing crops, and the lack of an adequate infrastructure of roads and communication systems.

BCR “Amanecer de la mujer”, whose name can be translated as the “Awakening of the Woman”, is located in the community of Antacalla in the district of Anco, province of Churcampa. The main activities of the population are growing corn (lower altitudes), potatoes and wheat (higher altitudes); raising guinea-pigs, pigs, and chicken, and they also have cows and bulls. The community of Antacalla faces many difficulties due to its remoteness, lack of public transportation and access to markets. It receives very little in the way of public and social services.

The bank has just completed half a year of existence and its first loan-cycle, with currently 11 female borrowers and a total loan of 3,600 soles (about US$ 1,240). The loans range from 100, 200, 400 soles, up to 600 soles. Besides repaying their loans, the group was able to save over 1,500 soles (about US$ 520) during the first loan-cycle, and they will continue to put aside savings in the future.

During their first loan cycle, most members have learned how to do business. Whereas before most of their production was for home consumption, more and more they have learned to be entrepreneurs, to earn a little money with the work they do. And, sometimes for the first time in their lives, they have learned how to improve the quality of their lives and the importance of saving.

One of the members of the community bank is Saturnina Durán Chacasan. Saturnina buys and sells "tuna", the fruit of the tuna-cactus. Besides buying the fruit down at the Mantaro river-basin, she grows her own tuna in a small field of tuna-cactuses. She sells her tunas in one of the major cities in the central Peruvian Andes, Huancayo, more than 5 hours away from Antacalla--at least, when she is lucky enough to find transportation. Her new loan of 500 soles, she will not invest in her tuna-business, however. This time she will buy a cow! Starting a new business! Although the cow will cost her 1,000 soles, she will put in the other half of the price of the cow herself, from her savings. One of the things she learned in FINCA Peru is not to talk badly of other people.

Another story is that of Florentina Matamoroz Durán, who has her business of baking and selling bread. Like all women in the community bank, she also has her fields with corn and wheat. Most of the production is for home consumption, but fortunately she also is able to sell some of her product. She will invest her 200 soles loan to buy more wheat for her bakery.

Rosa Ana Solis de la Cruz, who has requested a 400 soles loan, has a small business selling shoes, and Sundays when Antacalla has its weekly market, she also sells meals. She will invest her loan in buying new shoes for her business. It's a good time for that, because schools are about to start again, and most children need new shoes to go with their school uniforms. And, like most members of her group, her dream is for her family to improve their quality of life and for her four children to study. She will use her savings for buying school necessities because a new school year is starting.



About Group Loans
In a group loan, each member of the group receives an individual loan but is part of a group of individuals bound by a group guarantee. Under this arrangement, each member of the group supports one another and is responsible for paying back the loans of their fellow group members if someone is delinquent or defaults. Learn more

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