Third and Fourth repayment meetings, and Education World 86 visit

We have had two more successful repayment meetings with the two ASOLs of Unión Perú and Santa Isabél. At the last one our visitors from the French NGO Education World 86, who arrived on the 2nd of April, attended the meeting to get to know the members of the ASOLs and see how SOLAC’s Microfinance programme is running.

Here are the thoughts of Melinda Tims, EW's secretary:

"Education.world-86, Solac´s sister NGO in France, has provided the venture capital needed to start up 2 microcredit groups in the Huachipa slums outside Lima. The French NGO has also had 3 members working in Peru since early April, working both with the microcredit team and with the local school in the same area ; this experience has provided a first-hand opportunity to see the work in progress. The results have been outstanding.

The Solac microcredit team brings together talent, intelligence, great commitment, and outstanding preliminary results. The first 2 women´s economic self-help groups have completed their business training workshops and are half way through their repayment cycle, and 2 new groups are currently being formed. The ground work for all of this has been carefully thought out and the team has been highly successful in trouble-shooting so as to avoid any pitfalls. This endeavor is an ongoing process, so much obviously remains to be done in this impoverished area in terms of integrated economic development. EW enthusiastically supports all this work in the field and extends its hearty congratulations for all that has been accomplished."

EW Secretariat - Dr. Melinda Tims, University of Tours (France)