News & Events
Sparkles & Spritzers Event Benefitted FEMAP's Micro-Entrepreneurs Sunday, November 1st, 2009 --
In September, De Franco Designs and Glass Pear Designs hosted Sparkles & Spritzers which featured an evening of jewelry buying while shoppers enjoyed wine and appetizers. More than $1,600 was raised during opening night and twenty percent of the total sales of jewelry was donated to FEMAP's Community Bank program to help women start or grow their business.
Kim Kleberg, Friend of FEMAP International, coordinated the event in conjunction with Patricia Vaupel and Susan Cano from DeFranco Designs and Glass Pear Designs respectively. More than 100 women (and men) attended the opening reception, kicking off a week long shopping experience.
FEMAP's Community Bank program provides micro-financing services and education to poor and marginalized women living in Cd. Juarez to create entrepreneurial capacity so they can work at productive businesses and improve their family income, education, health and expectations for a better life. The program provides training and monthly workshops to ensure success.
FEMAP's Community Bank Statistics:
Expanding Access to Micro-Financing Services to Populations Living in Poverty
Program Director: Lic. Jose Luis Escanero
1. The Community Bank program began 1987 with the purpose of enabling the institution’s target population to improve family income, and thus be able to improve their quality of life.
2. In the 20-year history of this project, SADEC-FEMAP has organized hundreds of community banks, with more than 5,000 members and has created 7,000 jobs. During this period, participating micro-enterprises received more than 7million dollars through a total of 21,177 micro-loans - 28,000 micro-loans (loan average of US $378.79 dollars). Loan average is $250 U.S.
3. Of these, 3,150 members (63%) are currently continuing on with their work in operating their micro-enterprises in Ciudad Juarez, which are currently the main source of their economic productive. Salud y Desarrollo Comunitario de Cd. Juarez, A.C. (SADEC) has proven that access to financial services can help the poor to increase income, build viable businesses, and reduce financial vulnerability through the availability of micro-credit along with a broader set of tailored financial products including savings, insurance and remittances.
4. Microfinance and microenterprise development are recognized for their effective roles as instruments of change, empowering individuals, especially women, to become economically self-sufficient, while helping them achieve such goals as sending their children to school or supporting the preservation of their environment.
5. The potential for empowering women is intimately related to their financial independence. In 2007 the Economic Development program provided support to a total of 705 micro-entrepreneurs with technical assistance, training and with a revolving loan fund for $430,000 US dollars, an action that provided direct financial benefits to 6,307 persons.
6. Overall Indicators of the SADEC-FEMAP Economic Development Program during 2008:
Total Loans 1,900
Active Program Members 725
Capital (revolving fund)$605,000 dollars
Average Loan per Member $604 dollars
Per-Loan Average $320 dollars
Total Income (interest)$104,000 dollars
Expenses (operative cost)$123,000 dollars
Level of Financial Independence 85%
Delinquency Rate 7%
Contingency Fund $16,000 dollars
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