International Projects

 

The Rotary Club of Pacifica has partnered with 12 Clubs in our District and the Rotary Club of Lake

Atitlan to donate $61,000 for lending and training to 101 women entrepreneurs in rural Guatemala.

 

Namaste Direct, a non-profit based in Antigua, Guatemala, recruits and screens the potential women borrowers. They receive training in marketing, finance and other basic skills. The loans range from $150 to $800 for the first loan and if they repay that loan, they may qualify for a larger loan to expand their business. The repayment rate is 98%. Most of the borrowers are able to pull their families out of the poverty level and keep their children in school, rather than drop out to help support the family.

 

The Rotary Club members from Lake Atitlan, and 5 members of our Club and the Rotary Club of San Mateo attended the Borrowers' Conference in March in Panajachel, where the women receive advanced training in financial matters, domestic violence and family planning.