Organization:

Salvadoran Enterprise for Women (SEW)

SEW was a US organization working to empower women in rural El Salvador to work their way out of poverty through small business development.  At the beginning of 2018, SEW Board of Directors decided to transfer its mission and projects to its partner in El Salvador: Centro de Intercambio y Solidaridad (CIS) From then on, CIS has been in charge of delivering the reports on this project.

Click here to visit their website

Project Location:

Comunidad Romero, Tonacatepeque, El Salvador

Bastion helps donors invest in social development projects
Photo courtesy of CIS El Salvador
Bastion: Helping to Help
Photo Courtesy of SEW. Photographers: Susan Saudek, Leslie Schuld and Elizabeth Miller

Objectives:

  1. To create an organic production and processing of indigo
  2. To produce vegetables for their own consumption
  3. To sell products to neighboring communities

Beneficiaries:

The direct beneficiary is the women's cooperative Monseñor Romero of the Romero Community in Tonacatepeque, El Salvador.

The indirect beneficiaries are the women's families and ultimately the whole Romero community.

“Before working in the indigo business, I would feel responsible to stay at home, that I couldn’t leave for my own interests. Now, I make decisions about my life.  I tell my children I’m going to this place or that. Before it was difficult for me to communicate; I was shy. In our meetings others helped me to express myself.  I’ve learned to work alongside others. We don’t always agree but we always arrive at a conclusion that is for the good of the group.”

Angela

Bastion: Helping to Help
Photo Courtesy of SEW. Photographers: Susan Saudek, Leslie Schuld and Elizabeth Miller
Bastion: Helping to Hep
Photo Courtesy of SEW. Photographers: Susan Saudek, Leslie Schuld and Elizabeth Miller
Bastion: Helping to help
Photo Courtesy of SEW. Photographers: Susan Saudek, Leslie Schuld and Elizabeth Miller
Bastion: Helping to Help
Bastion: Helping to help
Photo Courtesy of SEW. Photographers: Susan Saudek, Leslie Schuld and Elizabeth Miller

Status:

On Going

Sector:

Women Empowerment

"My kids are always asking me about my work with the indigo. They ask, when I’m going to get paid, they’re always waiting expectantly because when I get paid I make a special dinner, buy chicken, or buy pupusas. I always invest it in buying food, it’s my primary expense."

María de los Angeles Flores

Grant:

Under $10,000

Reports:

Complying with the agreement brokered by Bastion between the investor and SEW, the organization delivered quarterly reports during the project.

From then on, and in accordance with the signed agreement, the organization in charge (now CIS) delivered reports every six months for the following three years. This way, the donors were able to assess the long term impact of their investment in the women's cooperative and in the community.

You can find all the reports here.

Dates:

Started: October 2016

Bastion: Helping to Help