Competiton in Yatzaputzan

Clouds come in over patchwork fields in Yatzaputzan

My coworker Edwin and I recently went to Ambato, the fourth largest city in Ecuador.  And then we caught a bus to a community up in the mountains above Ambato where the cold wind blows clouds across the dirt road and a girl from Michigan expects snow to start falling from the gray sky at any moment.  This little community has nothing more than an old blue sign along the country road that reads "Yatzaputzan" to demark the wood houses and dirt road that form a community, but years ago someone from this area contacted PCD (Partners for Christian Development) about training in agriculture.  Eventually they started a savings and loan program, a bakery, and a cheese factory.  The last of these three was the motive for our visit to the community.  To help with start the cheese factory, PCD gave a loan for the sanitary registry and the initial milk purchases.  With the loan, PCD also made a long-term commitment to the development of that factory and the surrounding community.

Community members at the cheese factory

At its start, the cheese factory met a large need in Yatzaputzan, Tamboloma, and surrounding communities of the indigenous Kichwa people.  With many dairy cattle on the mountains, the farmers of the community had no other option but to sell their milk at the market price to buyers from outside the community.  By starting a cheese factory, the farmers continued to sell their milk at that price, but they got back the whey, which could be used to feed their livestock.  At the same time, the cheese factory added value to the milk by producing a white cheese and yogurt that were then sold for higher prices in Ambato.  With the proceeds, the community association was able to support the needs of its members while also providing work for four people.

Straining cheese in green netting and placing it in molds

In the past year, though, things have changed dramatically.  Where they once was a monopoly on the purchase of milk, the cheese factory now has to compete with the a large dairy company that set up an outpost for purchasing milk in the same community.  Buying milk at a higher price, the dairy company has convinced many farmers to switch their loyalty, but the milk company does not give back to the community like the cheese factory did.  Two employees at the cheese factory had to find other work, and neither whey nor funds are returning to the community as they once did.  The cheese factory is at an important juncture in which it must adapt to the demands of market competition, and PCD is committed to supporting it in this venture.  Maybe it will mean the community's savings and loan program will need to lend to farmers to buy more cows and sell more milk to the cheese factory, and maybe it means selling the cheese directly in Ambato to raise income and be able to pay higher prices to the milk farmers.  whatever route the cheese factory takes, PCD will continue to walk alongside them and give support and advice.

Factory where cheese is produced on ground floor

Like the story of any business, this story is not over, and there are many uncertainties about what the next chapter might hold.  As the cheese factory meets challenges, PCD has committed to playing an active role in the story of meeting and overcoming those challenges.

Biking the Chaquiñan

Over the past month, I’ve developed a new favorite Saturday morning activity.  A few minutes from my house there is a 20 kilometer bike trail called “The Chaquinan” that leads from Cumbayá (the suburb where I live) to Puembo (a rural community that produces strawberries and other fruit to sell in Quito).  I originally began biking the trail in order to train for a triathlon that is planned for April, but I keep biking each Saturday in part because I love the amazing scenery along the trail.  After spending the week on buses and in office buildings and walking between skyscrapers in the capital city, it is refreshing to coast down a dirt trail along the side of a canyon and see a crashing river ribbon its way along the bottom of the canyon.  It reminds me of a quote from Gerald Blidstein, who once said, “Man must live the rhythms of nature, despite his obvious ability and duty to circumvent them; he must live the rhythms of the countryside despite the city in which he dwells.”  So much of my time is in a sterile environment, and I don’t know exactly where the food I eat comes from, but riding through the countryside where some of my food is probably produced brings me closer to the “rhythms of the countryside” and awes me time and again with the beauty of God’s creation.

Although pictures can never do justice to the beauty of God’s handiwork, here are a few photos to give you a glimpse of where I spend my Saturday mornings.

At the start of the trail in Cumbayá.

The trail weaves down one side of the canyon...

  ...crosses the river...

...and climbs the other side.

There are some tunnels carved into the side of the canyon.

And in Puembo the trail rides along fields.

Two hours later, I return to Cumbayá, exhausted but content.

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.

Onions on a Mountainside

Cayambe Volcano peaking thru the clouds

Ecuador is beautiful.  And that becomes even more evident when one escapes the concrete jungle of Quito and ventures a few hours by bus through the mountain passes overshadowed by sleeping volcanoes to rural communities like Cangahua.  A couple weeks ago my coworker and I left our computers behind and spent most of the day on buses snaking through the mountains and in an ancient pickup truck bouncing along rock studded roads.  The ultimate goal was to reach José’s plot of land in the Andes highlands.  When the pickup finally stopped beside the evangelical church of Lote 4, we had a gorgeous view of the valley below and the communal field on the opposite mountain.

View from above a rural Evangelical Church

Edwin and Jose at the edge of Jose's onion field

We first went to José’s house, but his daughter informed us that he was at his onion field halfway up the mountain.  The only way up that mountain is to cross a footbridge over the stream, walk past a dilapidated house, and climb…climb…climb.  A half hour later we reached the plateau on which José and his wife were harvesting onions.  Standing against a strong wind, we talked with him about the onion harvest, the local association, the construction on the church, and how his loan payment was going.  Ending in prayer, we said farewell and headed back down the mountain to the awaiting pickup for a bumpy ride back to the town of Cangahua.  From there we caught a ride to the city of Cayambe to purchase some of its famous cheese and then returned to the concrete jungle of Quito.

Photo break on the way down the mountain. My left hand is blocking Jose's house where we started.

Waiting for the bus in the Cangahua town square

Walking Alongside

What makes a business development NGO any different from any other microfinance lending organization?

It’s the story, just like this one, behind each loan payment.  Whereas a lending organization focuses on collecting loans within the given time period, business development implies a long-term investment and a commitment to walk beside each businessperson, whether a loan is involved or not.  That commitment involves visits, phone calls, light conversations about family and the tough questions about what is really happening in the business.  It’s an enriching and fulfilling relationship, but at the same time requires a strong connection in order to honestly discuss what is best for the business and the owner.

A week ago I had the privilege of visiting Roger, a jewelry maker who participated in business training with our local partner PCD-Ecuador, received a loan, and formally started his jewelry business fulltime in November.  Roger comes from a family of jewelers and previously worked for a major jewelry manufacturer, but he wanted to have his own business to work with his wife and brother to carry on the family tradition.  With a loan from Partners Worldwide, Roger purchased the necessary machinery and now spends his days creating his own jewelry instead of simply following the designs created by his employer. 

Starting his business has been a joy for Roger, but it comes with many questions.  “Should I invest in additional machinery now or wait until a later point?  How can I increase sales?  Should I purchase an island in a mall to sell my products or continue selling through intermediaries?”  These are questions that Roger must answer, but he is not alone in searching for the best response.  Every month, Roger calls his business mentor in the US to share his questions and evaluate options with an experienced Christian businessman.  At the same time, local representatives visit Roger and review his financial statements. 

Through this ongoing communication, Roger is not alone as he takes the first strides in his business but has other Christian businesspeople walking alongside him every step of the way.  That is what makes Partners Worldwide and our local partner, PCD-Ecuador, business development NGOs—the constant commitment to the businessperson.

Check out an earlier story on Roger’s business on the Partners Worldwide website.

And look for more stories on businesses and a bike trail in Ecuador later this week.

Feliz Año Nuevo y Adios al Año Viejo

Translation: Happy New Year and Goodbye to the Old Year

In the United States, we have traditions of getting together with friends on New Year’s Eve, maybe attending a midnight service, alternatively watching the ball drop in Time Square, and probably singing “Auld Lang Syne” and toasting to the New Year quite soon after midnight.

In Ecuador there are traditions as well, and I’d like to introduce a few that I participated in this past weekend to say goodbye to the old year and welcome in 2011.

On the afternoon of December 31^st, I took a trip down to one of the main streets in Quito, which is lined each year by floats that poke fun of events in the past year.  Since I don’t understand all the political jabs, it was more interesting for me to see the creativity put into the design of these larger-than-life figures.

A character on one of these floats is called un año viejo, or in English, an “old year.”  They represent all the good and the bad that happened in the past 12 months, and at midnight on New Year’s, they are all set on fire, representing that both the old year and the people and events that marked that year have ended.  That idea of getting rid of the past and starting out fresh is a reminder for me of the command in Ephesians 4 to “put off your old self” and “to be made new in the attitudes of your minds.”  When I first heard about the tradition of burning the “old year,” I thought it would be an insult to be the one represented and burned, but my friends explained to me that it’s actually a very good thing to be the effigy used for the año viejo.  In a sense, being burned as the año viejo gives the person a new opportunity to put off the problems of the old self and be made new as the new year begins afresh.

On a less philosophical note, Ecuador also has a unique tradition of the viudas or “widows” of the año viejo, who stop cars asking for money for the “funeral expenses” of the dead año viejo.  In reality, these are usually young boys who dress in black with skirts and sometimes a wig.  Everyone knows that if you drive around Quito on the 31^st, you need to have a lot of change to make it past the makeshift barricades that these viudas set up.  I’m not sure the history or significance of this, but I suppose it’s entertaining and a good way for these kids to get a little extra pocket change.

With my host family, we bought and made our own año viejo to burn at midnight.  Since the youngest sister had wanted Germany to win the Soccer World Cup, they made an octopus selecting Spain over Germany out of paper mache and pizza boxes.  Additionally, they bought a sawdust-stuffed representation of Osama Bin Laden for reasons that are beyond my comprehension.  As part of the unique family tradition, the boys in the family jumped over the burning año viejo, resulting in at least one burned toe.  We joined the rest of the city to set off fireworks and light sparklers, and in the end, it looked like fog had rolled in because every street we traveled on the way home was still full of smoke from the años viejos and fireworks.  In this way we welcomed in a new year in Quito, and look forward to great things in the next 362 days!

Business Training Class Graduation

On the first Saturday in December, Partners for Christian Development-Ecuador (PCD-E) held the final class of its third business training course in Quito, Ecuador.  Twelve weeks earlier, the PCD-E training team eagerly awaited the arrival of the first businesspeople at the doors of the classroom.  This Saturday also involved a high level of energy and excitement as the participants completed the last step in this business course and began the first steps in the next part of their story.  For some that might be the start of a new business, and for others the implementation of new ideas to stimulate further growth in an existing business.

After the board president, an Ecuadorian lawyer, gave the final lesson on legal requirements for businesses, the class participants received a call from two members of the Global Business Affiliate (the Ecuador GBA is composed of about 10 US businesspeople).  Along with giving personal congratulations to each of the five businesspeople who were to graduate that day, the GBA members emphasized the importance of pursuing one's plans goals and trusting that with God we can achieve great things.  Everyone was grateful to be able to share time together that transcended the distance between GBA members in the US and the training classes in Ecuador.

After receiving their course certificates, the five graduates and one non-graduating participant were joined by three PCD-E board members for a celebratory lunch prepared by Monica (a successful new restaurant owner already featured in this blog).  Monica shared a part of her story, telling how she was able to grow and learn from hard experiences to become the businesswoman she is today.

As the culmination of 12 weeks of working, learning, and building relationships together, the graduation brought high hopes for future opportunities.  Just as the graduates will take advantage of the opportunities available to them in their businesses, the PCD-E board is looking forward to implementing ideas to improve the fourth business training class.  The team looks forward to starting an even better business training course in March.  Before then, trainings will also begin in the city of Cuenca and the farming community of Las Mercedes (see Las Mercedes story from July!)