7/9/86 panel #1, Rethinking development: what is needed now?, room 220

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Panel: Rethinking Development: What is needed now?

Our panel's task was to consider what major development ideas should

be imbeded in future Peace Corps programs. Recognizing that we could not

be comprehensive, in the time provided, we non the less were able to agree

on the following areas of emphasis. Many of these emphases represent a

restatement of basic and original Peace Corps development ideals which we

found as sound as ever. Others may call for a reexamination by Peace

Corps of its priorities and/or programs.

We also took some time to address a few recommendations that grew out

of these emphases and a list is attached. The areas of emphasis however,

imply many possible recommendations effecting Peace Corps strategy

-recruitment, training, programming and management. Thus, t he few

recom-mendati~ns

included should only be viewed as indicative of the many

re-commendations that should flow from our agreed upon areas of emphasis.

Two proposals - one the "Trickle Up Program," and the other,

11

A

Proposed Peace Corps Program for Balanced Development of Villages in the

Third World,

11

were presented to the panel which considered them in detail.

The consensus of the panel was that both proposals represented the same

type of development thinking that produced the following list of key

de-velopment emphasis for Peace Corps.

Emphases

1) Maintain the traditional People to People focus - counterparts, etc.

2) Building local capacities and empowering local communities to meet needs

and make choices about their lives.

3) Volunteers working at the local level.

4) Women's involvement at all levels.

5) Entrepreneurship at the micro level with involvement of the poorest of

th~

poor.

6) Improving quality of life by working within the local context.

7) Community decision making and implementation for all projects.

8) Developing local leadership and host country organizations.

9) Using local resources for support of volunteers and projects.

10) Strengthening P.C. as an organization that learns from its experience

and shares its learning with others.

11) Understanding our own personal and American values and their

inter-action with host country values.

12) Human Resource Development as a mutual process.

13) Building Peace Corps and Development consitiuencies in the U.S.

14) Developmental role of formal and informal education and participating

training in development.

Recommendations

1) Better coordination and understanding between P.C. programs operating

within each host country.

2) P.C. must retain the integrity of its long-term Person to Person

Development role .

-operate and network with host country local, national and international

PUO and other P.C. organizations.

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PC 's should be trained in and they should pass on to counterparts skills

i planning, implementation and evaluation.

Strategies that encourage capital accumulation through local investment

and the utilization of the unemployed and underemployed as well as local

currencies and food for development.

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THE PEACE CORPS AND

THE TRICKLE UP PROGRAM:

A

SYMBIOTIC PARTNERSHIP

EXTRACTS FROM TUP NEWSLETTERS 1982 - 1986

3 July 1986

Glen Leet and Mildred Robbins Leet Co-Directors

Trickle Up Program, Inc. 54 Riverside Drive, PHE New York, NY 10024, USA

EXTRACTS FROM TUP NEWSLETTERS 1982 - 1986

Vol. 2, No. 2 Newsletter 15 September 1982

SOLOMON ISLANDS - THE FIRST PEACE CORPS/TUP ENTERPRISE

On October 21st, 1981, Michael P. Horne and Catherine L. Malone, Peace Corps Volunteers and Conununity Education Coordinators in Isabel Province, Solomon Islands, requested information, saying they had read of TUP in TAICH News. On October 28th, TUP replied sending Guidelines, the Brochure, and a check for US$50 so that they could make an initial cash payment on the first project they approved.

On December 21st, Horne and Malone sent in the application they had approved for the first project to produce and market pineapple and papaya jam. Project Leader Naomi Talu of the Hoffi Women's Club reported that the group completed 1080 hours of self employment between January and April 1982, that they had sold 88 jars of jam, and earned a profit of US$59. Adding the TUP grant gave them a total profit of US$159 which they have deposited in the National Bank of the Solomon Islands in the name of the Hoffi Women's Club.

In a letter received on June 21st, Ms. Talu reported: "We cook our jam with pineapple, pawpaw, lemon juice and sugar and sell them in Hoffi and Buala. Many women come in and watch us work and learn how to make jam too. We enjoyed to make this kind of project in our area and will try hard to make more jam. We all come from two villages, Kokiloko and Vavarenitu. With some of our money we decided to buy spoons, measurement cups, and other equipment for the project." Horne and Malone reported: "As coordinators of the project, we feel that it has been a valuable learning experience for the women of Hoffi. The idea of working to earn money was a new concept for these women, but their interest and enthusiasm made the project fun as well as profitable for them. They have also joined a cooperative society store in their area where they regularly purchase the sugar for the project. The project has benefited the entire Hoffi Women's Club and provided a tasty product for the seven villages in the Hoff i area and Buala Station."

The second project is the Fariuriu Poultry Project in Nareabu. Boniface Bogese, the Project Leader, originally wanted to start a bakery, but found the start-up costs would be too high, so decided on an alternative plan, the poultry project, with the hope that enough money can be earned to start the bakery project at a later date.

The third project is a bakery p~oject in Buala Village called the J.K.B. Bakery,

which plans to produce and sell bread and rolls. Horne and Malone wrote: "J.K.B. formerly operated a bakery. We believed a cash input would put the business back on its feet and provide motivation for the members to continue their project. The results over the last few weeks have certainly been impres-sive! This project also provided a unique opportunity in non-formal education, namely to provide appropriate business education. The participants now possess a savings passbook and have guidelines on credit. They now use a simple accoun-ting method to record expenses and profits."

On March 21st, 1982, Donna and Andrew Sciandra, another Peace Corps Volunteer couple, wrote that they had heard about TUP from Catherine Malone and asked for

2

information. TUP responded by sending the Guidelines - 1982, Newsletter, applica-tions and report forms, along with a check for US$50 so they could make an immed-iate initial cash payment on the first project they approved. This was a sewing project planned by the Goulona Group in Koloshona Village, South Guadalcanal. They plan to produce and market men's, women's and children's clothing.

Their second project, with a group called the M.K.D. Group in Veraboli Village, is to produce and market baskets, string bags and vegetables. The project leader is Mary Drelly. The Sciandras wrote: "As with Margaret Bulage's group, we are confident that Mary Drelly's group will be successful as all members are hard working, conscientious people. Margaret was pleased that you both sent good wishes to her and her group. Their project is moving along with only a couple of minor problems -- mostly with pricing.

Vol 2, No. 3 Newsletter 15 December 1983

PEACE CORPS IN COSTA RICA

After learning about TUP in a cable from Loret Miller Ruppe, Peace Corps Director, Martin Gold, the Country Deputy Director for Costa Rica, passed the information on to Patricia Zellmer, a Volunteer. She has since negotiated and approved three projects, The Bakery of Eden is the name selected by a group of five women in Eden de Cartagena whose project leader is Estela Betancourt Barrantes. In the first six weeks, they have produced and sold 5,563 bakery products (buns, pieces of Johnny Cake, and sweet rolls) for a gross income of 5,563 colones and an earned profit of 1,278.80 colones. They have reinvested 987. of their profit and comment that the TU~ process "helped us to form a small industry, helping

our economy without having to come out of our homes." ·

In ' Tempate and Cartagena, clothing will be produced by a group of five family members, four women and one man, calling themselves "La Campanita,11 _{with Jeannete}

Navarrete Valerin as project leader. Vegetables will be grown and marketed by "Willy's Garden" group in Cartagena. On 625 square meters of land they plan to plant peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, sguash, beans, radishes, and muskmelons. They also plan to plant test plots with lettuce, carrots, and celery. Now, such vegetables have to be trucked in at high cost. Wilfrido Marchena Bustos is the project leader.

VISITS TO PEACE CORPS PROJECTS IN COSTA RICA

In November 1982, the Leets visited six of the first eleven projects coordinated by Peace Corps Volunteers in Costa Rica. The six projects were coordinated by Patricia Zellmer, who was working in Guanacaste.

BAKERY OF EDEN: This group makes delicious bakery products, and are doing so well that they plan to build a larger oven. We presented them with the second TUP Certificate of Achievement. Their Project Leader is Estela Betancourt Bar-rantes. (TUP/CRI/PC/l)

WILLY'S GARDEN: This enterprise is situated diagonally across from the local bank and is a large fenced area intensely cultivated. Part of the area is devoted to seedlings. The two women and four men are growing and selling vegetables. The project leader, Wilfredo Marchena Bustos, showed us various plantings.

3

PANADERIA ARRIETTA: This is a bakery in La Garita de Huacas. Its project Leader, Jeraldine Zuniga Arrietta, is finishing her last year at the agricultural collegio, where one of the requirements for graduation is that students develop income-producing activities. She has succeeded - and her whole family is now engaged in the enterprise. (TUP/CRI/PC/4)

THE UNION: This is another family baking operation. Working are the mother, two daughters, one daughter-in-law, and one grandchild. They run the gamut of ages from 69 to 29. They operate out of their home in Cartagnea de Santa Cruz, and bake in a huge outdoor clay oven. The many trays were ready to go into the oven when we arrived. TUP has helped them to save on materials, as they now buy their ingredients such as sugar and flour wholesale. The project leader is Isabel Apu Bustos. (TUP/CRI/PC/5)

DIANA: This is the name given to a beekeeping operation whose project leader, Saddy Moraga Cabalceta, named it after his newborn daughter. TUP has given the group encouragement to start, and the prof it will be a help to them in what he called "the economic crisis." The goal is to have 50 beehives or more to sell honey, pollen, and bee colonies. (TUP/CRI/PC/6)

WOMEN'S ORGANIZATION OF SARA: This group of 13 women in Limon are sewing blouses and weaving rugs. The project leader is Mme. Maria Feli Molina Ruiz. Peace Corps Volunteer Lynne Gilliland is the coordinator. (TUP/CRI/PC/7)

UNION Y PROGRESO: Peace Corps Volunteer, Lauren Delle, who traveled with us through Costa Rica, has become the coordinator for a project in Cartago (the first of three assigned to her), where a group of ten women have formed a busi-ness, making and selling crocheted vests and blouses. The project leader is Patricia Zunigia Vega. David Lockshin, another Peace Corps Volunteer, and Lauren Delle's husband, works in forest conservation. (TUP/CRI/PC/8)

LA PEQUENA GRANJA: On November 20th, an approved project application was

received from Peace Corps Volunteer Esperanza Jarmon in Esparza Puntarenas, Costa Rica, for a group of four women and three men who plan to produce and sell eggs. They expect to earn a profit of 2000 colones a month and to reinvest 707. of their profit. (CRI/PC/11)

PEACE CORPS IN JAMAICA

Max Binswanger, Director, and Karen Gaskins, Program and Training Director, invited the Leets to participate in a training session for Volunteers destined for Eastern Caribbean assignments. They were interested to learn that TUP pro-jects have been successfully initiated by Peace Corps Volunteers in Costa Rica, Nevis, Senegal, and the Solomon Islands, and many are interested in TUP. Five projects were assigned to the Peace Corps.

Vol. 3, No. 1 Newsletter 15 July 1983

PEACE CORPS AGREEMENT

In a ceremony held in Peace Corps Headquarters in Washington, D.C. on July 11th, Peace Corps Director Loret Miller Ruppe joined Glen and Mildred Robbins Leet, Directors of the Trickle Up Program, in signing an agreement for cooperation. At the ceremony, Director Ruppe said, "Working together with the private sector representatives such as the Trickle Up Program is becoming more and more important

4

to how Peace Corps can help meet the growing needs for small enterprise activity in developing nations." In the Memorandum of Understanding, the Peace Corps and TUP have agreed to pursue mutually acceptable joint efforts to coordinate, implement, and promote TUP projects. As of 30 June 1983, there are 45 Peace Corps Volunteers coordinating 128 TUP projects in 20 countries.

The Leets reported that the sensitivity, dedication, and effectiveness of the Peace Corps Volunteer was outstanding, and told how TUP/Peace Corps relationship started. It began in 1981 in the Solomon Islands when Michael Horne and Catherine Malone, two Peace Corps Volunteers, wrote to ask if they could start some TUP projects. They had read about TUP in "TAICH News" the bulletin of the Technical Assistance Information Clearing House. We sent them the Guidelines and a $50 check, and today, there are 27 new business enterprises in the Solomon Islands. The Leets presented Director Ruppe with "Tales of the Solomon Islands," a col-lection of the correspondence and TUP applications and project reports from the six Peace Corps Volunteers there.

GUATEMALA

On July 11th, Howard T. Lyon, Deputy Director of the Peace Corps i n Guatemala was designated as a TUP coordinator and ass igned five project grants, bringing to seven the number of Peace Corps/TUP projects in Guatemala.

NEVIS

A Certificate of Achievement was presented to the leader of the Butler's 4-H Club, Trevor Sutton. To quote Lee Lyttle, a Peace Cor ps Volunteer and the

original coordinator of this group, "In the two years, Tr evor Sutt on has matured as a real leader in the best democratic sense. The 1,000 hours, t he process, the record keeping, and the follow up involved in TUP was well suited to what I was doing." Initially their profit was small, as some of the produce was stolen, but as the enterprise is continuing, they received the second $50 TUP payment, which enabled them to make a second start. The current Coordinator is Dennison Murrain.

Seven new projects were assigned to Peace Corps Volunteers in Nevis. Five of these were to Diane Haley, who is working with the off ice of Conununity Affairs and the 4-H Clubs. Applications have been received for four of the five. One group is raising and selling piglets, and another seedlings under Project Leader Paul Flenuning. Others are growing and selling vegetables under Blondell Browne, and swine under Narlene Smithen. Another grant went to Joseph Koenig who teaches woodworking at the Charlestown Secondary School, and the last to Margaret Koenig, from whom we have already received a project report for a doll making enterprise led by Project Leader Veronica Hanley.

TUP IN THE PHILIPPINES

From the Philippines, Celeste Philbrick, a Peace Corps Volunteer, has sent in an approved project application from a group making nito baskets. Ms. Philbrick writes: "We have 250 basket weavers represented by an association of 28 persons from each of the various neighborhoods. The name of this association of basket weavers is 'samahang Maghihikit ng Nita' (Tagalog name). We just registered officially last week at the Securities

&

Exchange Conuni ssion in Manila . The group has also been accepted by PHILHAPCO (Philippine Handicraf t Producers Co-operative) which has a display of all its members' products at the PHI LTRADE

5

Center in Manila. They also have a trade house in Miami, Florida for their members. We have arranged to display the basket products on consignment in Manila at one ethnic goods shop, the American Embassy shop, and tourists shops. Our next goals include talks with exporters, registering with the Bureau of Internal Revenue, printing invoices, business cards and following up the pos-sibilities of volume orders with basket dealers in Manila. Things are looking very positive indeed, We thank you again for your assistance that helped get the ball rolling.

SWAZILAND

From Swaziland, in a letter received on June 28th, TUP Coordinator, Andrew Passen, a Peace Coprs Volunteer, reported on the Lukhele Chicken business and enclosed an application for a maize project from the Mkhwanazi Group which has adopted the name, "Feed the Nation."

Vol 3. No. 2 Newsletter 15 October 1983

ST. LUCIA

From April through September. Granville Duplessis and his associates at the St. Lucia Blind Welfare Association completed 1000 hours of work raising chickens and selling eggs. As there is a shortage of eggs on the island. prices are high and they have a good market for their eggs. They sell at EC$6.00 (US$2.26) a dozen. They report a profit of EC$102 (US$40.30) and report that they have reinvested it all. They began with ten chicks, added one c~op and 12 more chicks,

and are now planning to build a coop for 100 chickens.

Ann Yarmal, a Peace Corps Volunteer who is the coordinator,learned about TUP at a Peace Corps Training program in Jamaica at which the Leets explained the Trickle Up Program. In her first letter, she wrote: "The enclosed proposal of Granville Duplessis represents far more that the possibility of a small income to supplement the narrow income of people in his village. Granville is totally blind and is one of several blind and visually impaired people who are working on the program, and who attend the St. Lucia Blind Welfare Association (SLBWA) in Castries.

"It has been the hope of Manager, Tony Avril, to encourage the people attending the workshop to develop self-help projects outside of basket making, which is the prime work of the workshop. With this grant, Mr. Duplessis will be able to ini-tiate a pilot project that may then extend to other projects to be undertaken by other members of the group - and in other villages in St. Lucia.

"Though raising chickens is not an enormously profitable endeavor, it does provide additional needed nutritional requirements to the people's diet, and will provide some additional cash on a regular basis. Most of the building materials are

available at nominal or n~ cost - though some certainly are not. At present, in

St. Lucia, table chickens imported from the states (frozen) and eggs sell for $5.00 a dozen (EC). This project can represent a first breakthrough for people at SLBWA to begin home projects of their own."

Ms. Yarmel was sent checks for two additional projects early in September, and in her letter of September 26th, Ms. ~armal wrote: ''Within the next few weeks we hope to begin two other groups on projects and will send the agreements as soon as final arrangements are completed."

6

SOLOMON ISLANDS

Peace Corps Volunteer Martha Kegeles wrote for the Tovolea Bakery Group, "The group in Vatukalau is continuing to work on their proj ect. The women cleared the bakery site, gathered their materials and built the oven. They bought bakery supplies and equipment needed. The oven was completed 450 hours before the

monsoonal rains.

The rain disrupted their work so frequently that the women decided they needed a house for their oven. They wanted their own place to prepare the dough, store baking supplies and firewood, and they wanted to be able to make bread when it rained.

"Building a house in the Solomon Islands is traditionally men's work, but the women decided that if they wanted a house they had to build it themselves. They therefore began to collect posts, rafters, and leaf. They have sewn the leaf into the roof and wall panels. They have also erected the house frame and put up the rafters. This work has taken approximately 350 hours, yet the women are still motivated, working and excited by their projects. The r a iny season is the major reason why the project is progressing slowly.

"They plan to pay the women in the group who do the baking by allotting them

fr~e bread. The women who gather firewood and purchase supplies will also be

paid. Profits will be reinvested to pay for more baking supplies. The women market the buns in the village on the trail leading to other villages. A five-year-old daughter of one participant has tested the market by building a small stand opposite the drum oven and selling guavas on Sundays."

(Project TUP/SOI/KEG/l) FROM GUADALCANAL

In a letter we received on October 4th, Donna and Andrew Sciandra, Peace Corps Volunteers who have been effective TUP coordinators in the Solomon Islands, wrote: "We returned to the Solomons; are now in our fifth year of Peace Corps Volunteer Service and have been reassigned to Guadalcanal Province Headquarters as Senior Community Development Officers!

"Having experienced working with the TUP progr am in the past, we know its philo-sophy and approach are in accord with provinc i al CD program goals and particularly suited to the needs of Peace Corps Volunteers livi ng and working wi th villagers especially in promoting person to person labor intensive development activities. We therefore wish to include TUP as an integral part of the Guadalcanal Province CD Program design as we know it will make the program come alive.

"We request TUP forward Program materials (TUP Guidelines and News l etters, etc.) to the new CD/PCV teams. We are looking forward to working once again with TUP and its staff."

PEACE CORPS COOPERATION

Since the ceremony in Peace Corps headquarters in Washington on Jul y 11th at which an agreement was signed by Loret Miller Ruppe, Peace Corps Di rect or and TUP, there has been an accelerated flow of project appl ication from Peace Corps Volunteers. As of 30 September 1983, there are 58 Peace Cor ps Volunteers coor-dinating 146 projects in 20 countries as follows:

Antigua: Barbados: Belize: Botswana: Costa Rica: Dominica: Dominican Rep.: Ecuador: Guatemala: Honduras: Jamaica: Montserrat: Nevis: Paraguay: Philippines: St. Kitts: St. Lucia: Senegal: Solomon Islands: Swaziland: 7 Josephine Grey (1)

Bruce Summers (1), Florence Duncan (1), Tom Ferguson (3) Susan Scull (2)

Jonathan Miller (1), Sarah Wright

&

Sue McCabe (1) Patricia Zellmer (6), Carlos Santaella (3), Lynne

Gilliland (3), Lauren Delle (3), Constance Almquist (1), Christopher Lambert (1), Guy Branch (1), Leslie Rider (2), Edward Sawyer (1), Esperanza Jarmon (1), L. Carleen

Yocum (2), W. Edward Armstrong (3), Donald P. Masterson (1) Louis Moore (1), Richard Martinez (1), Cynthia Theobald (2) Stephen Hilyard (3)

Cindy Patrick (1), Craig Frederickson (6), Megan Ross (1) Susan Scull (5), Lisa Regimbal (3)

Howard Lyon (5), Dwight Carter (1), Joanna M.Jennings (1)

Bruce Barton (1), Scott Peterson (1), Susan Scull (2) Karen Gaskins (5)

Norton Anderson

&

Matthew Swartz (1), Robert Giles (2), Mark Stivers (1), Bill Lynch (1)

Diane Haley (5), Margaret Koenig (1), Joseph Koenig (1), Lee Lyttle (1)

Susan Scull (2)

Celeste Philbrick (3)

Doug

&

Dryden Robertson (18) Paul Taperek (2), Ann Yarmal (3) Tim McMains (1)

Catherine Malone

&

Michael Horne (4), Donna

&

Andrew Sciandra (12), Martha Kegeles (2), Nancy Rickard (3) Vicki Engelmann (2), Andrew Passen (3)

DOUG ROBERTSON AWARD

Doug Robertson in St. Kitts is coordinator for ten enterprises which have quali-fied for the full $100 TUP grant. All are reported as continuing, profit-making businesses. Through them, 54 people are self employed, of whom 23, or 43%, are female, and 31, or 57% are male. The average number of workers per project was 5.4. Doug is a Peace Corps Volunteer who learned about TUP during the Leets' field visit to St. Kitts in January 1983. Six additional enterprises are in progress, and two were reported as not continuing.

Vol. 4, No. 1 Newsletter 1 February 1984

ST. KITTS - ROBERTSONS

Their tour as Peace Corps Volunteers ended, Doug and Dryden have left St. Kitts. In a farewell letter, Doug, who had received a Certificate of Achievement, wrote: "We will take home many wonderful memories. Among the warmest will be of our Trickle Up clients who have struggled and persevered. TUP made it all possible." Their record was outstanding, of 18 enterprises coordinated, 14 have already quqiified for the final payment and are continuing. Housing renovation, care for pre-school children, paintings and abstract art , handicrafts, fish, rabbits, automobile electric repairs, bumper stickers, color slides for tourists, vege-tables, various foods, retail food shop, and a grocery store were among the enterprises they fostered. One of the participants in the art project wrote the new nation's National Anthem. Doug was excited about the TUP concept and said "With TUP we can make a difference in St. Kitts." They did .

8

Vol. 4, No. 3 Newsletter 15 August 1984

TRICKLE UP IN HAITI

The Leets met with the Director of the Peace Corps in Haiti, Mr. Bertrand Laurent, who had been assigned to his post in November after two years in Mali. He was interested in income production, and said that the many Volunteers who were to arrive within the next few months would be interested in working with TUP. We left five checks with Patricia Hogan, PCV in charge of encouraging small enter-prises, so that the PCVs can make initial payments when they approve applications and groups can start to work immediately.

HONDURAS HATMAKERS

"La flor del Junco" is the name chosen by a group of 20 women who have started

a hatmaking cooperative. They report a profit of US$1,705 in the first three

months. They reported that TUP enabled them "to initiate the process of becoming a small business." Coordinator Janetta Yanez writes, "The women in the cooper-ative have really worked at the improvement of their product, Panama straw hats and are marketing their own work in Honduras and exporting to the US. The initial TUP grant of $50 was an important initiating factor for the group and enabled them to buy the materials they needed to start their small business." (TUP/HON/ PC/YAN/l)

HONDURAS HAIR-STYLERS

Coordinator Richard Wehling writes: "This group consists of five women (from 21 to 38 years of age). They have primary school educations, all are unemployed due to family responsibilities or lack of opportunity. They have knowledge and experience in two areas: sewing and hair dressing. Their plan is to buy basic materials needed to start a business in their own homes. They hope to share knowledge and to offer to the women of the area low cost hair-sets and women's blouses and children's clothes. One of the women has contacts to sell their finished clothing products. All feel that many women in the area would like and would benefit from the opportunity to receive hair styling, most of whom are unable to afford the cost of 'down town' salons . . It seems that this group has a workable plan and is well motivated to implement the project." (TUP/HON/ PC/WEH/l)

STAR OF COSTA RICA

During the period from 13 February 1984 through 22 May 1984 (3 months and 9 days), Project Reports were received from Peace Corps Volunteer Leslie Hope Jarmon for ten enterprises. All reported profits and reinvestment, and all are continuing. Produced and marketed were: flower arrangements, clothing, macrame items, beans, corn, linens, and appligued items.

In addition, Applications have been received for 6 of the 8 new grants assigned on the 25th of May. Ms. Jarmon1_{s letters provide interesting insights into the}

human aspects of her work. She is being awarded a TUP Certificate of Achieve-ment. In Costa Rica, 106 TUP grants have been assigned, 69 to Peace Corps Volun-teers.

9

AN EGG EVERY OTHER DAY

When Adel and Martin Cruz Alonzo, who live in San Agustin, Guatemala, learned about TUP trom Peace Corps Volunteer Lynn Spangler, they had a meeting with friends to decide what business they could start. They knew there was a good market for ·fruit, so they visited people with fruit trees, and offered to sell the fruit for them. Their business prospered. On the back of a photo sent to us by Ms. Spangler, she wrote: "The child second from the left was one of my patients last year and third degree malnourished. She has since recovered and she gets to have an egg every other day now, because the family bought chickens from the profit." (TUP/GUAT/PC/9)

STAR OF GUATEMALA

In Guatemala, 53 TUP grants have been assigned, 33 to Peace Corps Volunteers. Nineteen of them are being coordinated by PCV Lynn Spangler. Project Reports showing accomplishments and reporting that the enterprises are continuing have already been received from 13 of her groups. For each Report, she writes a narrative that illuminates some human aspect of the activity, and she includes photos with project numbers and captions or other comments. Her work is out-standing, and a TUP Certificate of Achievement will be presented to her. A SOLOMON ISLANDS FAREWELL

Donna and Andrew Sciandra are leaving the Solomon Islands where they have done outstanding work as TUP Coordinators. They wrote, "As this is the time for reflection, we again realize the big impact that TUP has made in this area. Even though the financial contributions have been small, they have been of great

value to the individual groups. Improved self-confidence and self-esteem,

incentive, direction, busine~s ~nowledge, expanding views and awareness, an

· additional sense of responsibility, respect ..• and all of this with a $50 grant! We are especially pleased to be working with TUP because we believe very strongly in what we are doing here in the Solomons. Our main aim is directed at human development as opposed to large scale economic development. Your assistance has helped us to continue to focus our interests on the people at the bottom. Because we are in accord with TUP basic ideals, we think your program is wond-erful and hope you continue for many years to come." The magic in TUP is that it does attract the support of dedicated coordinators like the Sciandras.

Vol. 4, No. 4 Newsletter 1 December 1984

TUP SELF-DIRECTED EMPLOYMENT GENERATION PROGRAM

Peter Yockel, a PCV/TUP Coordinator in Costa Rica, writes: "Ujarras is a poor Indian village and I am a Peace Corps Volunteer living and working there, When I arrived in Ujarras nine months ago, many people told me of the need for income generation projects. The old methods of self-sufficiency and the new realities of low paying, unskilled agriculture jobs were not enabling Cabecars to break the cycle of poverty which increasingly controls their lives. At one point it was suggested that a well developed craft program might help to meet these needs for increased income, an idea that was soon discovered to have at least five advantages. First, craft work utilizes the skills the community already

10

the local economy even further. Third, overhead is virtually nothing. Fourth, the craft program reinforces a sense of communal pride in the common Indian heritage, and fifth, Costa Rica is currently engaged in a strenuous effort of self-identity. The local and tourist markets are rapidly growing for goods that bespeak of Costa Rica's cultural wealth.

"It was not long after we began planning the future project that the craft com-mittee happened upon some good luck in the form of Ms. Esperanza (Leslie Hope) Jarmon. Ms. Jarmon and the members of the Ubrunca Union have been of invaluable help in providing many services, organizational ideas and, of course, a retail outlet that our own fledgling union needs. One of the services that Ms. Jarmon provided was to come to Ujarras and talk about the Trickle Up Program. Since her April visit, the crafts people of Ujarras have organized themselves into a council of more than 25 members, subdivided into the five guilds of Molchu, hammocks, bows and arrows, basket weaving and pottery. It is these "guilds" which are forwarding funding applications to TUP. I can not express fully enough how important it was for the crafts people to begin their program with your

support.

"To date, your financial backing continues to generate much enthusiasm and has realized many goals, the formation of the craft council is only one. Since the first meeting many new ideas have germinated from the group including resource exchanges, technique and product improvement advice and marketing ideas. Sud-denly, Don Trudi, a basket maker, is negotiating with Don Viligilio for the vines that are growing on his farm woodlots. Meanwhile, men from the bow and arrow guild have agreed to cut a new path to the house of Dona Dolores who has agreed to teach the other malchilla makers her special technique of finishing off the bags. And all this from a community that has long suffered the reputation of not wanting to work together.

"And many people are thankful. I was meeting with the leader of the Molchu guild this very morning. Turning to me as I was about to leave her humble home, eighty-five year old Dona Dolores said, 'To many people these bags meant nothing, had no value, but now with your help many young people want to learn to make them.' You are doing good work through the TUP self-directed employment genera-tion program."

TRICKLE UP TRICKLES UP

Laura Wulff, one of the new Coordinators in Costa Rica, wrote: "A farmer I work with asked me about TUP after hearing about Esperanza Jarmon's work with a neighbor. He and his family have already begun work on a chicken coop and need money to pay for more materials and hens. Esperanza has told me many good things about your program and I am happy to be participating for the first time."

A TALE OF TWO TURKEYS

An enterprise in Guatemala began as one to produce and market corn, but as Lynn Spangler, the Peace Corps Volunteer/TUP Coordinator reported, "This group -- as

WqS &lso the case with several others -- did not have just one activity going.

They bought some sugar for 150 Quetzals and sold it for Q200. They spent Ql8 for two turkeys. They now have six turkeys which they expect to sell for Q68. To me, this group is particularly interesting because the initial US$50 is what

11

got them started. If it weren't for that, they wouldn't have been able to nego-tiate these different enterprises. The group is excited about raising turkeys because there is a market for them in the area."

WILL CONTINUE LONG AFTER

"I was so pleased with the success of our first project--baking bread and cook-ies," wrote Pamela G. Mann, another Peace Corps Volunteer/TUP Coordinator in the Dominican Republic. "It's a wonderful thing to be able to have direct assis-tance in helping a group get organized in an income generating project, something that will continue long after our initial contact. I am now working with a

women's group in a very poor, remote community in the Northwest Dominican Repub-lic." Their enterprise is named "Reposteria Santos" and they reported a profit of 415 pesos (US$114) in the first three months, of which they have reinvested 407..

Ms. Mann reported: "The TUP project was actually the follow-up of an appropriate technology adobe block oven, which was built by several PCVs in conjunction

with this family. They immediately started baking and selling, but were unable to make a prof it -- between the high cost of small quantity purchases and the cost of frequent trips to the nearest town to buy the ingredients. With the TUP grant, they were able to buy bulk quantities, i.e., 100 lb. sacks of flour. As a result of the grant, they are now making a decent prof it with the baking business. The success of this oven/baking project has motivated several other small groups in surrounding villages to build this type of oven for baking bus-iness purposes." (TUP/DOR/PC/MAN/l)

TIP OF THE ICEBERG

In a report from Guanacaste, Costa Rica, Coordinator Elizabeth Post wrote about a group of six women who are producing and selling beach clothes. Their profit for the first three months was $205. The activity is continuing as a profit making enterprise, she reported, but because of the "extensive planning, coor-dinating, marketing, and research, the women have only just begun to produce and sell. The products sold have been mostly to acquaintances, and doesn't even take into consideration all of the products to be produced, nor the volume that the stores to which they are selling have requested.

The season begins in October, and it is for this period of time that the women are producing. In other words, this is just the tip of the iceberg! The real results shall manifest themselves one the tourist season begins, but as can be seen, the random selling (small scale) that has occured, has been profitable. I am optimistic that, with more organization and coordination, the women will soon be independent of me, and that the experience gained will continue to act as a catalyst for other products/projects, as well as to continue this one."

(TUP/CRI/PC/42) .

A FOND FAREWELL

"My departure date is August 27th," wrote Leslie Hope (Esperanza) Jarmon, PCV/TUP Coordinator in Costa Rica, who continued: "I would like to say that I feel the TUP effort is extraordinarily effective. Whereas in some countries the $100 represents a great deal of capital, and in Costa Rica it is not so great, I believe that the self education process which the TUP utilizes i s extremely valuable,

12

That is to say, the $100 is 'paying for' a great deal of education to people (and Qy them) who are frequently left out of other 'development' programs."

Wherever she goes, we hope she will coordinate TUP enterpris~es, because her

work is so outstanding. She has initiated 21 of the 72 ente.rprises coordinated by Peace Corps Volunteers in Costa Rica, where a total of 109 grants have been assigned since the program was started in 1981.

GOOD NEWS AND BAD NEWS FROM SWAZILAND

In a recent letter, TUP Coordinator Ramon Gomez, PCV, wrote -- first the good news: "As you can see from the enclosed Project Report, this project was very successful. This was mostly due to the efficiency and business understanding of the people involved. They ran their small business very well and were hard working, making renovations where needed (such as improving and expanding the chicken-coop). I believe that their business is off the ground. They're already making plans for expanding their business by increasing on the number of chickens purchased." The report showed that they made a profit of 455 Emalangeni

(US$267.65), they reinvested 327. of the profits, and bought 300 new chickens. (TUP/SWA/PC/GOM/3)

NOW FOR THE BAD NEWS

Mr. Gomez continued, "There was an unfortunate turn of events involved with the first project, where most of the chickens were lost and destroyed by dogs, due to their escaping during the night by a gate left open. Some were recovered, though. Also a loan which was to be procured had to be postponed due to the untimely death of the local representative of the development bank. But we're still trying, and a report with further explanations is soon forthcoming." SWAZILAND SWAN SONG

"I would like to report," wrote Andrew Passen, a PCV/TUP Coordinator, who had worked at the Cana High School, "that the Lukhele and Mkhanazi projects are both well into their second years, and both projects are doing very well indeed in generating income for the groups. It is so nice to see the people prospering after help from your organization. I find myself most interested in helping people as much as I can, especially to develop the ability to stand for them-selves. My commitment to Peace Corps may be ending, but my commitment to use my energies for the benefit of others has only begun."

Vol. 5, No. 1 Newsletter 1 April 1985

WITH THE PEACE CORPS IN COSTA RICA

Out of the 157 projects assigned in Costa Rica, 81 are with Peace Corps Volun-teers. The results of a survey developed by PCV Jim Adriance has shown that of the eight businesses responding so far, all are continuing enterprises. PCV William Weech, PCV Liaison with NGOs, proved to be not only an excellent inter-preter in our trips about the country, but also superb translator of TUP documents into Spanish, including the Villagers' Manual. We found this document, which had been designed by Robert Singer, one of the most useful introductions to the TUP process for future entrepreneurs.

13

FROM PCV JARMON TO ADELA PICADO

Three hours out of the capital of San Jose, we met in San Isidro with coordinator Adela Picado, who works in a supervisory capacity in the 4-H Division of the Department of Agriculture in this section of the country. TUP had initially been introduced to the area by PCV Leslie Hope Jarman, who started 20 enter-prises--all continuing--as well as a handicraft store where goods made by the groups are sold.

GUATEMALA PEACE CORPS/TUP COOPERATION

At 7:30 a.m. on our first morning in Guatemala, Howard Lyons, Peace Corps Program Director, invited nine PCVs working with TUP to meet with us. Lynn Spangler, PCV extraordinaire, stayed with us the entire week. Her three criteria for evaluation of a TUP enterprise are: 1) Continuing financial success; 2) Social success (working together as a group and offering each other support); and 3) Learning success (the educational experience). For example, when the chickens are given vaccine, they remain alive and healthy. When they do not get vaccine, they die. Some people get the educational message the hard, costly way. Our special thanks go to Lydia Garcia, who is handling TUP accounts in the Peace Corps office in Guatemala City.

THEY MADE IT THEMSELVES

We first visited a group of ten women just outside Antigua, the former capital, who were raising chickens for meat. With the first TUP payment, they bought 100-day-old chicks and feed. They have done well, making $35 a month in profits. Of this, $20 is reinvested, and $15 is divided among the group members. They divide the chickens equally. Some sell all their chickens; others may keep three for their families and sell seven. Their goal is to have 400 chickens so they can sell 100 broilers every two weeks.

We saw the second group of chickens, and saw that they needed larger quarters to accomplish their goal. When we arrived, the women were busy making a new chicken house. We video taped their work, first clearing the land, then erecting posts, and putting on the roof. They took turns working with the post hole

digger, the hanutler, the saw, and in binding the beams to the posts with wire. They had clearly planned it carefully, because they had on hand all the tools and materials they required. From time to time, they would stop to consult with each other, but they always ended in agreement as to how they should proc-eed. The construction is on land loaned to them, but the structure could be moved to another location if at any time this site were no longer available. Sabrina Bailey, the PCV/TUP Coordinator, said they told her that to keep the business going, they each had to put in a little to get out a little. They understand the importance of reinvestment. Ms. Bailey also said they were not dependent upon her continued encouragement. They are in contact with the tech-nical services provided by the Department of Agriculture. Her husband, Bob, is a PCV who is a specialist in beekeeping and who was interested to find out what kind of bees the Coordinator had in Sri Lanka. We will put them in touch with each other.

! .

14

A SPIN-OFF

One of the members of the group has started a separate chicken r a ising business with her unemployed husband, but she still remains a member of the group. The membership in the group is valued, as it constitutes a mutual support system and a status symbol.

AT THE CROSSROADS .

La Estrellas is the group selling fruit at the crossroads of Los Champas. Here we met Hortensia Reyes, the group leader, who told us the reason for their suc-cess. With the capital provided by the first $50 TUP payment, they were able to buy fruit in bulk, sell at a lower cost, and make a larger profit. With the larger stock, they are now able to sell food every day. Ms. Reyes, a mother of seven, has improved in health, and now earns 5-7 quetzals a day. With some of the profits, she has bought chickens and pigs. The members reinvest and work well together every day. This is but one of 16 enterprises coordinated by PCV Lynn Spangler, a nutritionist working with families of children having 2nd and 3rd degree malnutrition. She commented that while nutrition education was impor-tant, even more important was the income which enabled the mothers to provide nutritious food for their children. She said TUP was a long-term solution to the problem of hunger.

FROM TAMALES TO TORTILLAS

The experience of the Santos Morales family in the Barrio Aqua Hielabajo in El Progresso illustrates some interesting features of the Tr i ckle Up Program: 1) The importance of record-keeping: After they started making and selling tamales, their records showed they were losing money, so they shifted to producing and selling tortillas before their capital was exhausted. TUP encourages people to become entrepreneurs--shifting as experience indicates and not remaining wedded to a losing business.

PCV/TUP Coordinator Lynn Spangler said she asks each group to buy before anything else, a notebook and pen and to record this purchase as their first expense. The notebook this group showed us was beautifully kept, and they pointed with pride to the keeper of their records-their eleven-year-old son. He is getting an early education in business management through hands-on experience. 2) The way in which one enterprise supports another: They bought their comale, on which they cook tortillas, from a neighbor who was producing comales as a TUP enterprise.

TUP enterprises are invariably labor intensive. The leader of this group would rise at 4 o'clock in the morning to grind the corn, mix and cook the tortillas, see that water was brought from a distance, and firewood gathered. The 300 tortillas are sold in the market daily. Each member of the group has a specific task. They proudly showed us the new stove they had built with their profits and the colorful ceramic owl that housed their savings. It's hard work, but they are now on their way out of hopeless poverty. (GUAT/PC/38-SPA)

COMALES

With Lynn Spangler and Tom Ahlquist, a PCV nurse, who had previously worked with refugees in Thailand, we visited a group working in the home of Dona America.

15

Here we video taped the whole centuries-old process of producing comales. First they gather a special kind of rock--mica. They transport it home, soak it in water, pound it with a special stone that each woman has had from her child-hood. The crushed rock is then ground very fine by a handcranked grinder. It is then mixed with clay and water, and kneaded like dough. The next process is a skilled one--spreading the mixture on forms as one would ·a pie crust. The fin-ished comales are then dried in the sun and some time later, as the final step, baked in the oven, after which they are ready for sale. When finished, they have a glazed, Teflon-like surface, which is excellent for baking tortillas. HAPPY HONDURAS HAT MAKERS

In August 1984 we reported on the group in Honduras who had started a hat-making cooperative. We visited with Group Leader Chiquita, and video taped her demon-stration of the hat-making technique. She said that making the hats from reeds of the Junco palm was a traditional occupation that people in Santa Barbara have been doing for many centuries. They had a ptoblem, however: they couldn't sell the hats to tourists or for export because they were too small. They said they needed larger hat blocks and new workbenches to make the larger hats. Another problem is that they have been making hats with jagged edges--a type for which there is only a limited local market.

With the $50 TUP initial payment, they bought materials for the new forms on which they form the crowns of the hats and new workbenches with larger holes so they would have a flat surface where they could work on the brims. They used part of the TUP grant to pay for transportation to the city where they buy materi-als and sell the hats. The problem with the brims was solved when PCV Janetta Yanez, the Coordinator, brought them a hat made in Ecuador which had a smooth brim. At first they said they couldn't do that, but she left it with them, and when she returned two weeks later, they had solved the problem, and now make hats with the smooth brims themselves.

The group that started with ten people has now grown to 30. Their return per hour has doubled and because it is so much more profitable, they work more hours so their income is more than doubled from the income they had before TUP. As a consequence, for example, the Treasurer is now able to send her daughter to school and is planning to send her second daughter. This is one of the most depressed areas of the country with a high incidence of malnutrition. Their

goal is to buy land on which to raise the Junco palms so they will have an assured

supply of materials for their ~xpanding business. The Group Leader has moved to

Tegucigalpa where she is getting training to be a secretary but she still works at hat making and serves as a marketing agent for the villages in Santa Barbara.

(TUP/HON/PC/YAN/l)

"SMALL GRANT--BIG IMPACT"

This was the headline on a story about TUP in the April 1981 issue of DEVELOPMENT FORUM published by the United Nations in English, French, and Spanish. It is still one of the best and most concise presentations of the Trickle Up Program. It has been an important element in spreading the word about TUP, and has been the origin of some of our most effective coordinators. A Coordinator in Honduras, PCV Betty Rosentrater, has illuminated the question of how such small grants

16

energy, TUP is the match, and Coordinators are the people who strike the matches that light the candles that brighten the lives of the people participating. HEALING THE HURT OF HUNGER

As a nutritionist, PCV Delores Williams sees a lot of malnutrition. She can teach better nutrition, but she says the people just don't have enough income to buy food. She felt the only long-term solution was to help them increase their income. They have good embroidery and sewing .skills and she has guided them into making clothing that is marketable both for tourists and for export. They had a $500 grant from another source which was restricted to the purchase of materials only. They had no money with which to market the finished goods. With TUP there are no restrictions. This is one of the relatively unique features of TUP designed to encourage people to make their own decisions as to how to

run their businesses. Four of the 20 women do the buying, selli ng, and delivering of orders. Thus, having funds makes the difference between being able to market their clothing and not being able to market it.

HONDURAN CASHEWS

With Coordinator Ellen Butowsky, a PCV, a group has started a cashew-producing project. They have used TUP funds to buy five loads of wood that will be needed to process the cashews. The crop is just ripening now and they expect to be able to market the packages of dried cashews shortly.

TUP BAKERY AT RIO GRANDE

We met with some women who had already started a TUP bakery enterprise with Terry Ferrari, PCV, as Coordinator. They have already constructed their oven and are now doing research to decide what kinds of bread to make. They are quite a distance from the nearest market, but they believe that their major customers will come from surrounding villages who are even farther away from

Choluteca. From the many other plans they are making, it is apparent that Trickle Up may be an important element in making the community economically viable by providing opportunities for more productive activity by the women ... and men. 39 GRANTS

As of March 20th, 1985, 39 grants had been assigned through 17 coordinators in Honduras: 14 Peace Corps Volunteers had 26 grants.

Vol. 5, No. 2 Newsletter 10 July 1985

DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR

"Dollar for dollar," said Chip Fay, a former PCV/TUP Coordinator in the Philip-pines, "TUP must be the most effective development .program in the world." APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY

We learned from Teresa Ferrari, a PCV/TUP Coordinator in Honduras, that "The Matapalo petate (straw mat) project, like many new businesses, had some minor problems. The original contract was to sell to a local women's carpentry project that used mats in the production of end tables. The groups agreed to a price

17

of $2.50 per mat. However, the first seventeen mats did not meet up to the

specified measurements. The carpentry project refused to buy mats at the original price, and so a new price of $1.50 per mat was agreed upon.

"This setback was a good lesson, as the women decided to avoid any further mishaps by buying a measuring tape. Previously, the women used to measure by the width of their extended hand. The women soon discovered some hands were smaller than others. Moreover, the unit of measure as stated in the contract was in inches. The women from Matapalo had never used a ruler, and therefore, were not familiar with the concept of 'an inch.' The third month the women made 29 petates for the women's carpentry project. most of the mats met the specified measurements and were bought at the agreed upon price of $2.50 per mat." In the months ahead, the women plan on expanding their market by learning how to make new products. "TUP has create a 'frent de trabajo' (a source of work) and excitement in Mata-palo."

Vol. 5, No. 3 Newsletter 10 December 1985

BOOKKEEPING SYSTEM

Ella Pennington, PCV in Paraguay, in recounting her TUP experiences at the TUP workshops at the UN CONFERENCE ON WOMEN in Nairobi in July of 1985 explained a bookkeeping system she has developed for the new entrepreneurs. She has volun-teered to send it to anyone interested. Address her 7. American Embassy, Asun-cion, Paraguay.

QUICK INCOME GENERATION

From John Klock, a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Philippines, comes the following letter: "I would like to give you the latest on the status of two Trickle Up projects, the piggery and the sari-sari store. The sari-sari store is doing well and the students are almost finished with the 1,000 hours of work. In addition to helping these students pay for their tuition, the store has had other benefits. First, teaching them about small store operation and book-keep-ing. Secondly, it has generated interest in the surrounding barangays to send their children to school and complete their high school education.

"As for the piggery, I am happy to report that we have two healthy female pigs and a small two-room piggery. I would, however, like to take full responsibility for the fact that this project has not progressed as fast as could be. The

reason for this is that I misjudged how long the first piglet took to mature. As a result, profits will not be seen for another 3-4 months. My apologies as

!

realized Trickle Up is designed for guick income-generating projects. The piggery is doing well enough though, and we will be in touch in the future regarding it." (The emphasis that TUP gives to activities where there is an early return is an important feature that enables people to reinvest profits and build up capital for more efficient operations. This is something rather difficult to do with projects where the profits are long delayed.)

"Lastly, I would like to express my appreciation to Trickle Up for helping the Ayangan people of Lagawe, Ifugao. In these days of hard economic times and political turmoil, folks here are touched by such faith and interest as you