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Rural Entrepreneurship:Proven Success
Within the MicroConsignment Model we have trained over 150 entrepreneurs who have sold approximately 10,000 pairs of glasses, 850 wood burning stoves and have recently begun successfully selling vegetable seeds/gardening techniques, water filters as well as energy saving light bulbs. They will soon begin offering a rainwater cachment product, a small business newsletter/website and as well will be piloting children’s glasses for U-Specs. Local social entrepreneurs/microfranchisees earn an average of two dollars per hour for their work where the average imputed hourly wage in Guatemala is fifty cents and the opportunity cost is oftentimes zero (i.e. there are no other jobs to be had). They have sold their products/services in over 250 villages in 13 of Guatemala’s 22 departments over the past three years and speak 10 different languages. A national, entrepreneur-owned company which will serve as a holding company called Soluciones Comunitarias is in the final stages of being formalized (see “Moving Forward”)
Please see below a snap shot of results from March 2007 through August 2007:
- 114 Rural villages served by MicroConsingment social entrepreneurs/microfranchisees
- 75 Entrepreneurs working/in- training (we started with two entrepreneurs and no infrastructure in August of 2004 and have trained over 150 to date)
- $23, 400 Gross revenues of rural entrepreneurs (Revenues after entrepreneur earnings accrue to a recently established Guatemalan company which covers local expenses and acts as a rotating fund to reinvest in the individual entrepreneurs' ventures. No income whatsoever is returned to CE Solutions)
- $4,100 Aggregate net revenues of rural entrepreneurs (the average monthly earnings for Guatemalan rural women with some form of income is roughly $40)
- 1,980 Pairs of reading glasses sold (Total glasses sales including UV protection glasses average approximately 450 sales per month presently)
- 111 Efficient wood burning stoves sold (we have recently trained new entrepreneurs in another department of Guatemala)
- Water cachment, water filter, seeds/home gardening and energy efficient light bulb models finalized to begin offering social entrepreneurs/microfranchisees new offerings to serve villagers
(For a sense of scale, multiply dollar figures by seven for an approximate “apples to apples” comparison with the US.)
“Working with CE Solutions has been very good for me because I have learned new skills like how to give simple eye exams and how to relate with customers. I think my people skills have definitely improved because I have had to interact with people from many different places. In addition, people have responded very well to the help that I and CE Solutions have been able to provide. Personally, apart from helping other people it has also helped me economically. The money I make has been an important source of support for my family.”
Maria Lancerio Gomez, Sacapulas, Quiche
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