By Claudia Rodriguez
For the last 8 years I have been involved with Salvadoran Enterprises for Women (SEW), a wonderful organization that helps Salvadoran women to start small cooperative businesses. SEW helps women in rural areas organize and come up with a business idea, it provides them with seed money to get them started and accompanies them in the process for several years with training and technical assistance until their businesses become self-sustainable.
The empowering process these women go through is amazing: many women start shy, still struggling with gender-related barriers and stereotypes that keep them marginalized and impoverished. At the end of this process they are running their own businesses, providing for their families and contributing to their communities.
They become entrepreneurs, leaders, and role models. These women keep inspiring me and motivating me to support their efforts. They really make a DIFFERENCE!
For this reason I have decided to literally go the extra mile for SEW: I will be running to raise money to support SEW’s work in El Salvador. I am doing the Takoma Park 5k Challenge on May 3, 2015. I was not a runner before, so this is a big deal for me.
I started training in the last few months inspired by SEW and now I am totally hooked! I also need to thank my personal trainers, my husband Geoffrey and my 6-year old daughter Marcela for encouraging me to do this.
I invite you to join me in this 5K journey and support Women in El Salvador in honor of my run.
It is amazing how small contributions can go a long way into providing the tools these women need to start their businesses and pave their way out of poverty:
$10 Scissors and thread for sewing
$20 Wax and aromas for candles
$50 Transportation for trainings
$75 Repair of sewing machines
$100 Feed and vitamins for hen farms
Anything, no matter how little makes a big difference!
TO DONATE, please check out my fundraising page: https://sewinc.nationbuilder.com/claudia
