Training in Las Mercedes

Last month my coworker, Edwin, went to a rural farming community called Las Mercedes to give the first 4 of 12 sessions on business basics.  Back in July, I visited this community with two North American businessmen to spend time with a current loan recipient and consider the proposal to hold business training classes in Las Mercedes.  Obviously, that proposal was approved, and the following is a summary of the report Edwin wrote on his time in Las Mercedes.

On January 19 through 21, the Las Mercedes training class began with the introduction to PCD-Ecuador (Partners for Christian Development) and the introduction of each of the participants.  There were 20 participants, including 10 women, who represented businesses such as livestock and agriculture, auto mechanics, convenience stores, rice processing, cheese production, and commerce.  Each participant owns a business that provides for the owner's family and meets the needs of others in the community.

During sessions on topics such as "Planning Biblical Goals" and "The Executive Summary," participants formed groups of 4-5 people to work on activities and later share with the whole group their ideas and comments on the topics they discussed.

Outside of the training classes, there was a visit to the cheese factory owned by Freddy.  He has 6 years of experience and processes 6 kg (13.25 lbs) of cheese each day from locally-produced milk.  In the future, he hopes to increase the technology of his cheese production process.

 There also was a visit to the community's recycling project.  Initiated in June with the help of a Peace Corp volunteer, the project ensures that the community remains clean, prevents the contamination of the river, and brings in funds from the sale of recycled materials.

PCD-Ecuador has a long history of working in agriculture and farming with the community of Las Mercedes through partner organizations, and it's exciting to now be able to offer business training as well in this community.