Site Visits During the Cartagena Conference

Helene Dudley

In conjunction with the February conference in Cartagena, Tim Lawler, Jack Edwards, and Helene Dudley of The Colombia Project board arranged for RPCVs to visit 30 micro-credit loan projects in Santa Marta, Cartagena, and Cienaga.

The small groups of RPCVs had the opportunity to ask questions and experience the projects first-hand. Visitors witnessed the creativity of projects, such as the women who carry lightweight washing machines on their backs and collect rental fees by the hour; others who rent cell phone minutes; a project making fishing knives from old saw blades and lawn chair legs; and more traditional sewing, weaving and re-sale projects.

The returned volunteers also directly supported the microenterprises with over $2,000 in purchases of hammocks, mochilas, decorated T-shirts and hats, all made through Colombia Project loans. APRODEFA/Cartagena described its banking services that boost the working poor another rung up the ladder towards financial stability.

The Cartagena version of village banking requires that a participant save a minimum of $5 per month over a three-month period before becoming eligible for a personal loan to cover such things as a medical emergency, wedding, or home improvements—basically the same situations for which U.S. borrowers might need extra funds.

Since there is always more demand for loans than there are depositors, the bank provides no actual bank accounts, just a record of who has funds invested in the community bank and who owes to the bank. This program is based on a model from Venezuela. The goal is to have Colombia Project partners work together to spread this service to the other Colombia Project sites.

The 30 RPCVs who made the trip to Santa Marta had the opportunity to see how Fundemac integrates The Colombia Project micro-credit loans with the Magdalena Foundation college scholarships and the Paso a Paso mentoring program to provide both immediate and long range attacks on the cycle of poverty.

Like The Colombia Project, the educational projects are supported by Friends of Colombia. In 2007, MINICOL, a Colombian expatriate organization registered in Colombia and the U.S., became the fourth partner, opening a micro-credit loan program in Quindío. Based on the success of that program, there is the potential to open additional micro-credit programs at some of MINICOL’s 12 other sites in Colombia.

During the Conference, Jerry Norris, a trainer for PCV Group 22, presented a check in the amount of $1,700 to APRODEFA-Cartagena, a donation resulting from Group 22’s site visit last year.

The Colombia Project is supported by tax-deductible group and individual donations, an annual brunch, and grants. Growing a program to the point where it becomes self-sustaining requires a commitment of approximately $30,000 over 10 years.

Donations can be sent to:
The Colombia Project
c/o RPCVSF
P.O. Box 311044
Miami, FL 33231-1044