This program is now closed.
Thank you to our community of donors who supported this program from January 1st - December 31st 2022.
A pathway to stable income through the Mujer Avanza co-operative.
Financial independence for women
It is a known fact that COVID-19 affected several businesses worldwide. In El Salvador, a group of women lost their jobs after the textile factory they were working for closed down.
Most of them were single, heads of their households, and came from low-income backgrounds. For them, being suddenly unemployed and facing poverty after working for so many years with brands worldwide was a shock.
They teamed up and formed a cooperative called Mujer Avanza, but the government assistance they received wasn't enough. In 2022, Good Neighbors El Salvador got involved and started helping the women to develop their own brand.
The group had a lot of experience in making clothes but they needed support with pricing, marketing strategies, administration, and other topics that would help them manage their business successfully and independently.
The progress we made
uGood Neighbors Canada fundraised to assist the cooperative in several aspects, supporting with all the necessary equipment, materials, and training costs to get the co-op off the ground. The major updates were:
- The co-operative developed a cohesive business plan.
- The women received training in business management.
- Their facility was fully refurbished and painted.
- 7 industrial textile machines were delivered in July 2022.
- Office supplies and other materials like chairs, scissors, pins, measuring tapes, and fire extinguishers were delivered in August 2022.
- An accountant was hired for financial and administrative support.
- Another industrial cutting machine, yarns of cotton, 2 mannequins, a laptop, a mouse, a printer with ink, pens, paper, and other office supplies were delivered in October 2022.
- 2 skills workshops were delivered in November 2022: basic computer skills for the office workers, and specific textile production training for those producing the clothes.
Notably, Good Neighbours Canada secured a grant from the Unifor Social Justice Fund which, in consultation with the women, was allocated towards strengthening the security of the members of the Mujer Avanza Cooperative through the provision of signaling and fire prevention supplies.
Production successes
At the wind-down of our support in December 2022, the coop had just fulfilled its first official order of 600 pairs of women's pajamas! This was for one of their former clients (before their old company closed down). They were also negotiating a contract for a second order to deliver t-shirts.
Mujer Avanza was also starting to receive more exposure. The ladies presented their cooperative at an expo at the El Salvador World Trade Centre. They received great tips and feedback!
A pathway to stable income through the Mujer Avanza co-operative.
We are a Canadian registered charity (Registration Number: 72273 2922 RR0001), therefore donations are eligible for a tax receipt, issued to the donor’s email. Changes and cancellations can be made anytime. Donors have the options of creating a donor account, powered by CanadaHelps DMS, to update information online. If you prefer to speak to our team, you can reach us at 1 (833) 614-GOOD (4663).