A Different Kind of Revolution in El Salvador

by Maritza on March 23, 2012

Saludos Vittana community! My name is Maritza Trejo. I am your new fellow, based out of the Enlace offices in sunny El Salvador.


Maritza with Enlace staff at Enlace offices.

Over the last few months I have been working with our El Salvadorian field partner Servicios Financieros Enlace on the development of their student loan product. As Vittana’s Partnership Manager, Nick Cain, wrote on a previous post, there is a lot of work to be done before one of our partner microfinance institutions can even upload their first student profiles to the Vittana website. But after four months of hard work and collaboration, I’m thrilled to introduce you to Vittana’s new MFI partner Enlace, and the very first group of Salvadoran Vittana students.

Youth in El Salvador
One of my favorite jobs as a Vittana Fellow is getting to spend time talking with students and Enlace clients. I recently asked a group of young clients why they take advantage of Enlace’s new youth savings accounts. Some save to buy a new pair of shoes; others save to help their parents with the cost of education or start a small business.  A good percentage of these young people, are sons and daughters of Enlace’s traditional microfinance clients who are often vendors, beauticians, fisherman, artisans, etc.  Although the majority of these parents did not complete high school (more than 50% according to a recent survey conducted by Enlace), the education of their children is important to them. In fact, several of these clients expressed during a focus group session that they often use a portion of their business loans to cover expenses related to their children’s education.

The hard truth about education in El Salvador
Unfortunately Salvadoran youth, especially those with low income, have limited access to secondary and tertiary education.  Here are some startling statistics*:

Of Salvadoran youth,
• 48% aged 15-24 attend school
• 88% of those who study belong to the upper-class
• 50% live on a disposable income of less than $2/day

On graduation rates:
• 36% of Salvadoran youth who are studying finish 9th grade
• Only 12.6% will graduate from high school
• 1.26% of those will study in college
• 0.013% will graduate from college
• 25% of all Americans have a Bachelor’s degree

*Source: 2005 Government youth survey from the National Secretary of the Youth, La Prensa Gráfica

In El Salvador the unemployment rate is 14.2 %  for youth between the ages of 18- 24, and the high cost involved with attending university, encourages many to choose a different path. For some this path will lead to north of Mexico or down other locations where young people are easily be recruited by gangs.

Rays of hope: 13 isn’t always an unlucky number
While this may paint a gloomy picture of the current situation in El Salvador, it is not a reflection of the future.  Over the past four months I have met many Salvadorans, like the 13 new Vittana students, who are motivated and determined to give themselves and their families a brighter future.

All 13 students in the Vittana-Enlace pilot program will participate in an intensive Advanced English training at the Instituto Tecnologico de Centro America (ITCA). Enlace made a strategic decision to partner with this school for the pilot program because of its reputation for high quality education and their focus on serving low income students. ITCA will give students the skills needed to compete in the labor market, and then connect them directly with employers who are in desperate need for those skills. Upon completing the training, students will be qualified to get a job at any of contact center in the country where the average monthly salary for an entry-level associate is $600.

For these 13 students who today are struggling to find jobs and whose families are in need of additional income, this is a major opportunity to change the course of their lives.

Revolutionary Tendencies
For Moises Paz, one of Vittana’s first student borrowers with Enlace, he’s excited about the opportunity provided by his Vittana loan to continue studying and get a better job. He says, “English is necessary for many jobs and without the support of Vittana I would not have this opportunity”.

But for him, it’s more than that. The breakthrough is also that Vittana and Enlace are trusting young people with the responsibility to take out a loan. “There are not many companies out there that would offer such opportunities to young people.” This is one of the first times in the history of El Salvador that poor young people are trusted with the opportunity to take out a loan specifically to help them continue their education. For Moises, that’s revolutionary.

Dreaming Big
Most of Enlace’s Vittana students plan on attending university while they work part-time. They dream of working abroad, traveling, and meeting business people of the world etc. For them this training represents a step towards achieving their long-term professional goals and most importantly, an opportunity to help support their families.

Read more about each student here and help them make that next step. Make a loan today.

More about Enlace
Servicios Financieros Enlace (Link Financial Services) is a company dedicated to providing microfinance services to low-income entrepreneurs. They began operations in 1997 as a pilot program from international NGO Catholic Relief Services in collaboration with other local NGOs.  Enlace, which means ‘’link’’ or ‘’connection’’, grew out of the need to connect microentrepeneurs of El Salvador with financial services and trainings targeted to this sector. Enlace currently serves 30,000 clients, 85% of which are women, and has 12 branches across the country with plans of opening two more this year.

Since its inception, Enlace has been a company with a broad social sense and is constantly seeking different ways to benefit their clients, staff and communities. For example, Enlace has trained over 3,000 of its microentrepreneur clients how to create business plans and increase their sales. They teach clients how to save through community savings groups and provide scholarships to staff members to help them continue their education. Continuing with their theme of innovative produce development, last year Enlace started a program designed to give youth access to financial tools such as savings and credit. Learn more about Enlace.

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A Lot to Overcome; the Wilmar Calinga Story

by pfrank on March 20, 2012

In the Philippines it is easy to get blindfolded by people’s happy demeanor and not realize how much people here overcome in their everyday lives. Filipino’s in general are happy, fun and playful, and work here is exactly that, however their lives are anything but easy.

I have been living and working in Mindanao for the past two and a half months as a fellow with a partner of Vittana’s called the Pagluam Multipurpose Cooperative.

Everyday around 3:00 pm my co-workers all get slightly restless from a full day of working hard, laughing, and smiling. Then it begins; someone stands up and starts to begin a task, they will stop and point at someone else, say something in Visayan that my 20-word vocabulary cannot comprehend and everyone will break out laughing. People will then continue to chime in adding to the hysteria; by the end of the laughter our entire office is in the main room cracking up.

This usually occurs for around 5-10 minutes. In many cases a co-worker will tap me on the shoulder amidst the mania and explain what they are making fun of me about. After the short break people settle back into their rhythm. This is my favorite part of the day.

Mindanao is infamous for their danger and terrorism. A conflict between the government and an Islamic fundamentalist group called the Moro Islamic Liberation Front has led to violent rebellions all over the southern island. Hearing about violence and murders nearby is more normal than strange. Many provinces are also oppressed by the threat of local mafia who are active in politics, and have a presence in my local province. It is March 9, and in my municipality of 30,000 people, there have been 7 murders this month.

One would think this would take away from the morale of my co-workers having to be constantly concerned for the well being of loved ones as well as their own personal safety. It probably does, but the people here have strong pride and character, they do not let it affect the way they work and the way they treat each other.

I am from Washington DC, and before then a suburb of Boston, and until this past week I have not truly understood risk on this level and the danger that is involved living here not to mention the risk that they have taken on in having me here. I have been ignorant to this; shielded by my co-workers positive attitudes and jokes, my board mate’s playfulness and the Vittana student beneficiaries, ear to ear smiles when we work together.

Just 14% of people here are able to graduate from college, this is not all that surprising (this statistic is for the entire Philippines, Mindanao is significantly lower).

To make it to college here, one has to overcome oppression from a historically corrupt government, violence, poverty, all the other troubles of adolescence, while being able to afford tuition, school supplies, board money, and on top of that a living allowance, which can add up to more than the tuition itself.

Yet the people here get up everyday with a smile on their faces, set to take control of whatever they can in their lives.

No one demonstrates this strength of character better than Wilmar Calinga, a 4th year soon to be college graduate of Misamis University in Business Administration. Wilmar dreams of starting his own business someday, an internet café or a catering business.

Wilmar’s path to graduating college has been anything but easy. He has spent the last year and a half living alone in Ozamiz City. His mother has worked for the past 17 years in Dubai as a domestic helper, and Wilmar’s father passed away in 2007.

Wilmar thought he would have to drop out in his second year when his mother was misdiagnosed with cancer, to help support her. Thankfully a second opinion demonstrated otherwise. Wilmar almost dropped out again this past year, 1 semester shy of graduating.

His family had run into financial difficulties and he could no longer afford the last semester of college that includes additional costs for “on job training” (similar to an internship; a requirement for graduation) and his graduation fees.

However Wilmar found a solution, while visiting the nearby cooperative called Paglaum, paying his mother’s loans off which he does for her while she is away.

Wilmar saw a flyer for SEAL, a student loan that was part of a brand new partnership with Vittana, a non profit based in Seattle, that brings low interest, long term repayment loans to students in the Philippines.

Wilmar got excited; he went home and called his mother in Dubai to see if he could avail the loan. She said no. Wilmar would not give up though and after incessantly nagging her for support as a cosigner, she eventually gave in.

As Wilmar shares this incredible story with me he cannot stop smiling even through telling the details of the toughest times in his life. He has reason to smile; his mother is sitting besides him on the couch and is glowing with pride. She has flown back from Dubai to watch her son walk across the stage and receive his diploma.

Wilmar looks forward to getting a job and helping his mother come back to the Philippines for good, so that she can be with her family again. For the time being, Wilmar is most excited for graduating and spending time with his friends and celebrating what he has worked so hard for.

Wilmar alongside his mother (right) and two aunts (left)

According to a UNESCO study in 2009, while the Philippine government has been the beneficiary’s of over 1.1 billion in foreign aid, the education sector has been largely neglected by the government and receiving a disproportionately small amount of funds compared to other sectors. Making Vittana’s efforts in places like Mindanao all that more important.

There is more baggage that comes with living in Mindanao than un affordable education. A Vittana loan gives people here control of part of their life, in a place where people have very little control. A low interest longer-term repayment loan, makes school tuition one less thing for people here to worry about, while empowering them to repay it in reasonable time. An education can help people pull themselves out of poverty and help people improve their lives and their country.

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Barriers to Female Education

by mriggen on March 14, 2012

Not having access to education can be an enormous barrier for girls in developing countries. Rustom Masalawala, development consultant, and CEO of Kaizen Craft, is an advisor to CouldYou? an organization working to partner African leaders with other influencers to think about creative solutions to current needs. Their current project focuses on education in Mozambique. The Ministry of Education is working with Gov 2.0 analyst Alan Silberberg in a new initiative called Educate Mozambique, to rebuild its education system starting from the ground up.  ”The biggest challenge in higher education lies in the fact that the funnel from primary to secondary education is significant,” says Masalawala, “Girls suffer disproportionately because they seldom get a chance to attend these secondary schools. At the 7th or 8th grade, their education grinds to a halt. Most are then left with few options but to work at home or in the  fields, and teen pregnancies reach very high levels.”

Especially in rural areas, the education of girls can be a complex issue. Students sometimes have to walk miles to the closest school, which is a deterrent for their attendance. The majority of housework and chores is performed by women and girls, meaning they have less time for studies. And even something as basic as a lack of sanitary napkins can prevent a girl from coming to school. The goal of the project is to work alongside Mozambican leaders in education to pilot a program at a local village that incorporates innovative solutions, including ways to encourages girls to stay in school, which could then be replicated in partnership with African leaders. Advisor Masalawala adds, “Great thought needs to be given to enhancing the teaching curriculum and to bringing in more vocational training. This would benefit young girls and women who do not attend secondary school, giving them a chance for economic independence and weaning some of them away from the problems associated with early marriage.”

Programs teaching women about reproductive health issues also have enormous positive impact on the lives of girls. Often girls in developing countries are forced into early marriage and motherhood, which limits their ability to attend school. In Ethiopia, Girl Up, sponsored by the United Nations Foundation, is helping to promote education for young girls by offering basic literacy classes, family planning information and agricultural training. The organization encourages girls to delay motherhood, keeping them in school and giving them a better chance at learning about successful agricultural practices, family planning and other life skills critical to their long-term success.

The benefits of education
Other benefits of an education include increased career opportunities. Russian-born polyglot Susanna Zaraysky (she speaks seven languages and has been to 50 countries) promotes multilingualism through her teachings and writing. “I want more women to be multilingual because speaking more than one language increases one’s chances of finding a job and gives women more opportunities to work and travel abroad,” says Zaraysky. She adds “If a woman has children and she speaks more than one language, her children have a high likelihood of being exposed to their mother’s many languages because of the amount of time that women spend raising children. There’s a multiplier effect when women are educated in various languages that doesn’t exist to the same degree with polyglot men.”

Getting an education can also help women acquire crucial managerial and leadership skills that many developing countries need to improve their economy. Even in developed countries, women often need to navigate careers traditionally held by men. Entrepreneur and California-based architect Osia Wilson says “When I went back to school to get my MBA, I learned amazing things about economics, innovative business models, and efficient operations.  But I also learned to hold my own in a world where it’s normal for people to start businesses or become CEO’s.” With her advanced degree, Wilson says “My whole world changed.” Wilson is now hosting a conference  that will bring other female entrepreneurs together to connect with and learn from each other.

Educating women helps children
No matter where they live or what their income level, parents universally share the dream of a happy, productive life for their children and want them to succeed. Education helps families reach that goal in many ways. A child born to an educated mother is more than two times as likely to survive to age five. And as a global average, education accounts for 51% of the decline in mortality as educated women make wiser choices about their health and the health of their children.

Educating around specific topics such as AIDS testing and prevention results in the reduced transmission of infection from mothers to babies. Properly trained midwives mean fewer childbirths end in the deaths of mothers or their babies. And learning about their own changing bodies around puberty means less stigma, confusion and shame, and better physical and emotional health for teenage girls at a time when they are most vulnerable.

Educated women means a better world
Education clearly changes the lives of girls and young women for the better. It breaks the cycle of poverty, helps creates role models within communities, and provides better employment opportunities and cultivating leaders. In developing countries, education gives girls a reason to think beyond the next day, and in all cases, the chance to help and invest in others. Education levels the playing field between men and women. And universally, education unleashes the power of future generations of women, giving us all the privilege of living in a better world.

Sources: USAID Learning out of poverty; The Interdependent “The New Girl Power: Why Girls are Key to Ending Poverty”; GirlEffect.org; Scientific American “Baby’s Life, Mother’s Schooling: Child Mortality Rates Decline as Women Become Better Educated”

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Empowering Women Through Education

by mriggen on March 13, 2012

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Every woman has a different story. We see it in her face, note it in the way she interacts with her community and family, understand that she is the culmination of her collective experiences.

Yet not all women’s stories have happy endings. In developing countries, girls tend to inherit the poverty status of their mothers. Many girls are exposed to abuse or virtually enslaved in their homes and never get the chance to break the cycle of poverty. Also in developing nations, there are limited employment opportunities for women, so many don’t see the need to go to school. By circumstance, the worldviews of girls are often narrowed to the point of mere sustenance living, with no time or regard for their own foreseeable future.

Fortunately, this has been changing in recent decades. Across the globe, girls and women have made enormous strides in advancing their station in life; becoming leaders in their communities, improving the quality of life for themselves and their children, and increasing their lifetime earning potential. What has been a common thread for these women? Education.

Consider Iba Agushi’s story. Now the Director of Operatons for CleanEdison, a leading U.S. company in green-collar job training, Agushi was born in Kosovo and spent ten years in Iraq.

“Even though I am a Director of Operations, the first time I ever touched a computer keyboard was in 2001,” says Agushi. “During the Kosovo war, we weren’t allowed to take any classes or go to school. Culturally, women are still just expected to give birth, not to work. And in Iraq, it was even worse.” Agushi, who describes herself as having been a ‘tough girl’, was able to earn a university degree and a Master’s in International Diplomacy and is now working to recruit and train people in green technology, especially veterans of war. Says Agushi, “The situation is improving in Kosovo as more and more, people are realizing that education is the key to setting women free.”

Like Agushi, more and more women are seeking to change their stories through the power of education. And it is indeed powerful: on average wages for girls rise 20% for every year beyond 4th grade that a girl remains in school. An education nearly triples a girl’s potential annual income, often bringing her out of a sustenance existence and into the safety of a stable and productive life. For instance, a girl earning a meager amount selling tamales on the side of the road may, with access to an education, go own to become a teacher, bettering both her life and the lives of those in her community. And girls who complete a basic level of education are three times less likely to contract HIV/AIDS, and less likely to pass it on to their own children if they do have it. On many levels, education empowers young girls to be strong and encourages them to envision a future that may be vastly different then what they may have previously known.

What can you do to help women, especially impoverished women, get the access they need to an education? During Women’s History Month there are a multitude of ways to help. Vittana is sponsoring a 100 Women event, where you can help contribute to the education of women from around the globe by funding a microloan. The goal is to fully fund 100 women by the end of March.  You can join the ongoing conversation on Facebook, or share you story on Twitter about what education means to you. You can also check the International Women’s Day website for projects and events happening in your community.

Whatever you do to help women get an education this month (or any other point in the year), know that you are empowering them to rewrite their life stories for the better.

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Big Dreams Coming True for Two Young Bolivian Women!

by mjhunja on March 12, 2012

The day before International Women’s Day was the perfect time to interview two hard working, intelligent and determined young women. Monica and Cristina are both very close to finishing their undergraduate degrees in La Paz, Bolivia. They have each had their struggles but have worked hard to complete their studies and improve their futures.

Monica is in the last semester of her studies.

Monica will soon graduate with a degree in telecommunications, a rare profession for women in Bolivia. This makes her all the more proud earn this license.

“What is interesting is that in my area of study there are not a lot of women. We are only a few so this makes me feel good to know that women can do this as well. We are capable of many things. I think that little by little women are going to advance and become involved in many different types and areas of study.”

Monica is also hopeful that women will continue to advance in Bolivian society and around the world as they have proven that they “are able to perform better or equal to men” in a variety of roles.”

Once she earns her degree Monica hopes to go abroad to study further towards a master’s degree; possibly to the United States. After this her dream is to return to Bolivia and implement different telecommunications projects that can help advance her society.

Cristina hopes to have an interior design business in La Paz one day.

Cristina stepped out of the box and took a different path from the majority of her family members. She is surrounded by scientists, particularly chemists in her family but she quickly realized that wasn’t the track for her and followed her heart and her creative spirit into a degree in interior design. She enjoys everything she has learned, received very good grades and is certain she chosen the right career. She is only a few weeks away from graduating.

Cristina is proud to be a role model for her younger cousins, showing them that they too can be successful students and help improve their country. Continuing to be a role model is something that is very important for Cristina as she hopes to open her own business one day not only for herself but in order to employ other people in her community that need work. At the same time Cristina recognizes the difficulties but equally the importance of her own education and advancement as a female student and also for other women in Bolivia.

“It has always been difficult up until now for women to reach their goals not only with their studies but with everything. So I am very pleased and very happy that I was able to get to this point here in my education in a place that is very chauvinistic. And the idea for me is to bring other women up with me so we can all fight and so that we all can realize that there are many of us.”

She is grateful for the opportunity to take a loan to finish her studies and recognizes that it is a great support to young people in her country. When asked if she thinks her life is going to change upon completing her studies.

“Yes it’s going to change because jobs will be a lot more accessible.”-Cristina

Interestingly enough both young women named their own mothers as the most significant role models in their life.

“A role model is my mother… Overall she continues to do well even though she did not have the opportunity for an education. She continues to move forward and this is why she is my role model.” – Monica

“My role model is my mother. She fought to keep and raise my brother and I and move us forward and she continues to do this today.- Cristina

Their mothers, both strong and inspirational women, showed them how to push forward in the face of life’s obstacles and they both take that lesson with them as they advance along their individual paths.

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A Few Reasons Why Education Empowers Women

by Sophie on March 7, 2012

In honor of International Women’s Day, a special team of Vittana volunteers hit the streets of Seattle on March 4th to talk to local women about education and empowerment.

These are their stories:

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Five Amazing Vittana Women

by Sophie on March 7, 2012

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Here at Vittana, we’re all about broadening young people’s horizons via the powerful vehicle of education.  Today, Vittana is taking part in a worldwide celebration of International Women’s Day in order to pay tribute to the fight for equality that women experience the world over.  Education is a fundamental tool in that fight for equality, and educating women is a particularly empowering component of the puzzle.

The impact of a woman’s education can be game-changing for her community—women in developing nations typically reinvest 90% of their earnings into their family and communities.  Now, imagine if a woman suddenly had her income increase three-fold after obtaining her degree or vocational certification.  That’s an immediate funnel of resources going directly toward those that need at most.  That way, her sisters, daughters, granddaughters, great-granddaughters all get a better shot at life.

Since roughly two-thirds of Vittana students are women, we’re asking our community to join is in funding 100 female students in honor of International Women’s Day, to open doors for girls and women the world over.

To kick things off, we want to introduce you to five stellar Vittana borrowers and future professional women:

Mercy, age 28, Peru, Future Teacher

What education means to Mercy: “Esa es la puerta—this is the door.”

Her story: Mercy dreamed of becoming a great professor, but financial constraints had her working at her parents’ roadside stand just to make ends meet.  Her teachers always told her she would go far, but her father was resistant to the idea of college as Mercy had a young daughter and husband.  Today, Mercy and her husband are both in school, and she has even started a college savings account in her daughter’s name.  As graduation day approaches for her husband, Mercy couldn’t be more proud.  “I started from nothing, from zero,” she says, but today the future looks bright.

Merly, age 19, Philippines, Future Business Administrator

What education means to Merly:  “Education is indispensable.  It is my only treasure from my parents, and it cannot be stolen.”

Her story: While growing up, Merly watched her parents sacrifice to ensure that her older sister could have access to a good education.  When her sister dropped out before completing her degree, Merly’s parents become fearful that Merly would to the same, and decided not to invest in their second daughter.  Proving herself with good grades in secondary school, Merly finally convinced her parents to help her open that door.  Now, with her Vittana loan, she can prove her level of responsibility by taking her education into her own hands, as she is entirely responsible for her repayments and won’t be relying on her parents for help.

Eva, age 18, Honduras – Future Businesswoman

What education means to Eva: “Progress.  My chance at a professional life.”

Her story: Eva’s mom has always fought for her daughter to have an excellent education.  When it came time for Eva to go to college there were many financial burdens, but Eva’s mother continued to work incredibly hard to ensure that her daughter would have more opportunities than she did.  As she works toward her goals, Eva thinks about her mother’s sacrifices to get her where she is today, what a mother was able to give up for her daughter to have a better shot, and she’s inspired to work that much harder.

Lailatul, age 17, Indonesia, Future Nurse

What education means to Lailatul: “I can be financially independent from my parents and support them in return.”

Her story: Not everyone in Lailatul’s nursing program is able to work and study at the same time, and even though she sees her outside work as a babysitter as a hardship, she’s thankful for the job.  In fact, even though she still relies on her parents for occasional help with expenses, this job has enabled her to pay her own tuition the whole way through.  This loan will allow Lailatul to continue this independence, and freedom is something she definitely sees as her primary motivating factor to continue her studies.

Natasha, age 28, Ghana, Future Nurse

What education means to Natasha: “Giving my child his own education and all his basic needs in life.”

Her story: When Natasha’s husband died, her world turned upside down.  Not only was she grieving for her partner, but she had suddenly lost the steady flow of additional income that was allowing her to attend school.  However with strength drawn from friends and family, as well as fasting and prayer, Natasha did not miss a single semester of school.  She says that the education she will complete as a result of her Vittana loan will allow her to help her mother and son with their futures, too.

 

How will you celebrate International Women’s Day?

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True Stories from the Field: Education Paving the Way to Brighter Futures

by mjhunja on February 24, 2012

Meeting with Banco Fie Credit Oficiales

After a month in La Paz I’ve realized that our loan product, “Credito Superacion” is and will continue to be very beneficial to many young people. There is definitely a need here for micro credit in general and many students are successfully working with Vittana to complete their higher education. From a high level this is great news, but it’s the individual stories that mean the most, the stories that demonstrate the true impact that micro-loans can have on students, families and communities. So here are some of the faces and names and more importantly the success stories behind Vittana’s micro credit for education. Prepare to be inspired!

It’s easy to see what a difference a small loan can make in a student’s hopes for the future. In addition to tuition,

Karem is studying Tourism and Hotel Management

students must pay separate fees for basic educational materials  to graduate and even to complete their thesis.  Even after putting in all the required time and effort to pass exams and complete coursework, these costs commonly prevent students from obtaining their degree. For  Karem and Jael, financial factors like these made getting an education a struggle prior to receiving Vittana loans.   For Raul and Inti  the cost of materials were a barrier. Other students such as Javier and Sheyla, faced the prospect of working and studying at the same time to make educational opportunities viable.  Clearly it’s not maturity, intention, desire or ability as one might assume with young people, but simply costs that keep them from attaining higher education credentials. I’m glad to be working with Vittana towards eliminating these simple barriers and allowing these student to reach their goals!

More stories of student success came from my interview with Credit Officials who are working directly with the students and preparing the credit. Throughout my visits I have heard how the credit is supporting their clients through their education but recently I sat down with a few officials as they share their opinions on why higher education is so important in Bolivia. They also shared specific, inspiring accounts of accomplishment from their clients. The positive changes made possible through small amounts of credit are clear!

Marcelo Tames, Bancofie Credit Official

“In our country many people lack the resources yet they have a great desire to improve their lives. Sometimes the students are very frustrated because they want to get an education and but have chosen a degree that may be expensive and they don’t have the money to pay for their payments, materials and everything they need for their course of study. So I believe that the credit can be the answer and help them realize their dreams.” -Marcelo Tames, Credit Official

“I had a client that need the credit to finish his studies in a school of hotel management. Once he got the credit and was able to get his degree he was very happy for two reasons: he started working in a hotel to gain experience. After that he was going to open his own restaurant. In this case the credit was his motivating factor to finish his studies and eventually have his own business. So this was very motivating for this young man.” -Juan Marco Fernandez, Credit Official

Paola Sanchez, Bancofie Credit Official

“In the case of my client, for example, who is a seamstress, her daughter used the credit to pay for her last year, her fifth year of medical school. In this case, this is a change for the whole family because she is the first professional in her family. And they were very proud her parents and her siblings…They dream that one day she will work in a hospital in El Alto and she will have a good job there. -Paola Sanchez, Credit Official

“The current market is very competitive so it is very important for the young people here to obtain an academic degree.It is very difficult to pay for universities but Vittana is a great support for this and makes it much more accessible to continue their studies and complete their degree.” – Enrique Condori, Credit Official

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An Entitlement to Education: Kristi Salazar’s Story

by pfrank on February 22, 2012

Since arriving in the Philippines I have been shocked at how easy it has been to adjust to life here, and how quickly it has started to feel like home. Heading into the rural Philippines, and a low-income country, I never suspected adaptation would be so easy. Of course, dumping buckets of water over my head and calling it a shower along with eating rice 4 and sometimes 5 times a day takes some getting used to, but I thought the changes would be more complex than that.

The Beautiful Mindanao Landscape

People here share a playful nature and goofy sense of humor with me. My roommates are all college educated and in some cases have completed master’s degrees, and we carry similar career goals and personal ambitions that make relating and understanding each other easy.

Touring the Philippines for four months with Vittana and helping our partner cooperative get their program off the ground and has been an amazing experience so far. One area where cultural differences are evident is in our countries’ views regarding higher education. It seems that after high school the typical American and Filipino’s educational paths diverge.

In the US we see the college experience as more than just a place where one can acquire skills for a job or a career. It is considered as much as a personal growth experience as it is as an academic one. A student in the US looks for the perfect combination of academic fit, social atmosphere, climate, and athletics in some cases. Colleges have changed their admissions processes to favor the well-rounded student over the bookworm who lives in the library and gets straight A’s. In the U.S. many students know that graduating from high school in reasonable academic standing will lead to college, knowing it will be supported by their family, or paid for by student loans that can be repaid after college.

There is no better example of the privileged US education opportunities than mine. I attended a liberal arts school, where I could participate in athletics, receive personal attention in the classroom, and have the prestige of a first tier school, to be prepared for entering a competitive job market. I found the atmosphere and small campus feel of Kenyon College the perfect climate for personal and academic growth.

Similarly, college here in the Philippines is considered a minimum requirement for acquiring a competitive job with a livable and consistent paycheck.

Here, however, there are no student loans or athletic scholarships. Students are not attracted to college by the allure of a racy nightlife and the camaraderie of meeting new people and trying new things (not to say this does not happen). Students who can attend college do so close to home and are usually financed by an older sibling or their parents. After graduating they are expected to get a job and use their disposable income either to fund a younger sibling’s education or to help ease their parents financial burdens.

Kristi will walk with her class at graduation this March, she will graduate with Cum Laude honors.

Never have I been more grateful for my opportunities than when talking with Kristi Salaazar.Kristi is also a recent college graduate; she is working as an assistant teacher. She is an all-star student, she has won every scholar award and made the most of every chance she’s had since high school, diligently working her way through her fourth year of college, to graduate early.

When her parents separated last year Kristi’s future was not as certain, Kristi’s mother was left without an income trying to take care of Kristi’s 7 siblings, was no longer able to pay the half of Kristi’s tuition that her scholarships did not cover. Through a strange sequence of events Kristi was able to get a Vittana loan, and she is now working towards becoming a full time secondary teacher. Still living off less than $4 a day, Kristi has reason to be optimistic.

After hearing Kristi’s story, I recognize how lucky I have been. How if born in a poor country, without help and funding available to students, what I may be doing? Here was Kristi, the crème of the academic crop, the smartest 1%, the top of her class, was barely able to get a loan to finish her education. If the best and the brightest here are barely able to get degrees, what is happening to the other 99% of students, a group that I would assuredly have fallen into?

The opportunities that I have had as a student in the bottom 99% are not undeserved, (although some of the luxuries of a small liberal arts education might be). Every person should have a right to a college degree, and higher learning. Vittana is impressively trying to even the playing field. However Rome wasn’t built in a day, this is a process; today we are able to help the Kristi Salaazar’s of the world. Going forward, hopefully, we can help provide all students the tools to pursue their dreams, or at least their education.

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3 Reasons Why You Should Join Vittana’s Newest Volunteer Team

by Sophie on February 17, 2012

On the heels of Generosity Day—Acumen Fund’s heartfelt and creative reboot of Valentine’s Day—all of us at Vittana are sitting back with fuller hearts and wider smiles.  Our lenders – old and new – came out with great vim and vigor on good ol’ February 14th, and it was great to watch so many of our students move to their goals as a result.   Those of you that wrote in with stories about how you were sharing your Generosity Day actions with friends and family were truly inspiring.

A shot of a Vittana student from partner PMPC in the Phililpines - taken on Generosity Day.

Working at Vittana provides many other opportunities to be inspired by our lenders and supporters, and we do our best to show our appreciation.  But we’re always looking to put some extra oomph into the way we say, “thanks.”

Which is why we’re going to try harder than ever before to give back.   To do it right, we’re going to need your help.  We want our Vittana Community to help us transform the Vittana experience into more than just a fulfilling individual moment, but rather a beacon of inspiration that will help us spread our work far and wide.  So we’re creating a new team of special volunteers to head up Vittana Inspiration and Personalization.

Vittana’s Inspiration & Personalization (VIP) Team

We are incredibly fortunate to have many outstanding volunteers who help us keep Vittana moving, but today we’re looking for a new brand of volunteer.  Folks who will focus on one thing: making people feel good.  We’re talking Twitter shout outs, special thank you’s, and maybe even some video dance numbers.  So, why should you be among those that get involved?

  1. Empowerment to get creative – We’re not interested in telling you how to inspire.  You bring your own tools and creativity to a volunteer opportunity over which you have true ownership.
  2. Insider’s knowledge of what we do – In order to be effective at spreading Vittana’s brand of inspiration far and wide and providing warm fuzzies for our supporters and lenders, you’ll need to have a working knowledge of what we do and how we do it.
  3. Making people feel good…feels good! – We want you to bring your expert hospitality skills, your people-intuiting senses, and your own wonderful brand of enthusiasm to help us give back.  In doing so, we’re pretty sure you’ll get something back of your own.

Interested in getting started?  We’re anticipating the monthly involvement to be around 8-10 hours, broken down into 1-3 hour chunks on a weekly basis.  It’ll be fun, easy, and a great outlet to put your creative passions toward a larger mission.

Currently, we’re limiting our VIP Team to the Seattle area only in order to really kick things off properly in person, but we anticipate expanding teams out to cities all across the country, or even the globe!

If you’re interested in applying, please follow the link to fill out our recruitment form here.

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