MUJERES EN ACCIÓN

WOMEN IN ACTION

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PROGRAMS

Mujeres en Acción’s programs work within the following themes:

Social Organization

Through monthly community meetings, Mujeres en Acción helps groups of rural indigenous women to formally organize in three departments of Guatemala.  Inscribing them at municipal, governmental and judicial levels, Mujeres en Acción assists women in the development of democratic processes within their groups. 

Education and Training

In order to raise awareness and develop life skills, Mujeres en Acción conducts workshops on such themes as empowerment, women’s rights under the Peace Accords, finances, and public health at monthly meetings.  

Productive Projects

Mujeres en Acción facilitates microcredit loans to people who have limited or no access to credit. This financial assistance goes toward various productive projects that contribute to the family’s livelihood. Technical assistance is another element of MeA’s work, in order to strengthen and better prepare groups for their productive projects. This includes agricultural consultations, craft development and scholarship programs for children.

CURRENT PROGRAMS

Microcredit Program

There are currently 1,700 people receiving microcredit loans, over 95% of which are women, who are organized into 75 groups. These loans provide financing for productive projects such as weaving, livestock raising, and farming. The monthly meetings provide an opportunity for social organization and are a forum for educational workshops. Topics of these workshops include nutrition, business skills, hygiene, reproductive health, environment and self-esteem.

Alternative Medicine Training Program

This year-long course trains female community leaders in the promotion of medicinal plants. The goal of the course is to identify local medicinal plants, learn their properties and methods of preparation (tinctures, poultices, infusions, syrups, rinses) to treat common household complaints in their families and communities, and avoid spending money on expensive pharmaceutical drugs. In addition, the women are encouraged to begin their own medicinal plant gardens at home for their personal use as well as an additional source of income.

Housing Construction Program

For the last 5 years a group of Canadian volunteers has come to Guatemala on an annual trip to build houses in partnership with MeA for families in need. In recent years this has meant families whose homes were damaged by hurricane Stan. In the community of Agua Escondida Chichoy, 8 homes have been built to date, with plans and resources for 5 more to be built by the end of this year. 

Citizenship Participation Program

This program aims to support women to take on the management of their projects at the local level. The women in this program are leaders of various organizations dedicated to increasing the influence of rural women on municipal politics.

Mujeres en Acción · 3 Calle 11-94, Zona 1 · El Tejar, Chimaltenango · Guatemala