Hi Everyone!
We have only been back for a little over a week but I already miss Honduras and the amazing people I met in the Pajarillos community. The village is scattered along the slopes of a nature preserve and the views were well worth the long drive every morning. With no electricity or paved roads, it is impossible for commercial banks and organizations like Kiva to provide micro loans to communities like Pajarillos. The is why the caja is so important. The caja is a community owned bank that provides villagers the opportunity to gain interest on savings and obtain loans. The caja we worked with, Produccion en Marcha, has already made significant progress and is currently completing their first building which we were able to work on our first day there.
I have always been interested in microloans but I did not understand the true impact loans can have upon the people until this trip. A small loan to purchase fertilizer and pesticide can quadruple a farmer's crop yield. As a business major I was amazed by the return on investment farmers were able to attain through the Caja. The caja currently has more loan applications than funds despite a 100% payback rate so we decided to dedicate our loan funds to the Caja so they would be able to provide more loans and encourage others to apply.
For people who have so little, the people of Pajarillos are wealthy in spirit. I was both humbled and inspired by the dedication of Caja members and villagers to improving their quality of life. Any assistance I rendered pales in comparison to the lessons and wisdom I received while visiting this incredible community.
Although I have graduated I hope to return next year as an alumni. To all the sponsors that contributed to our trip, I sincerely thank you and hope you will continue to support us as we plan our next brigade for 2012!
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." — Margaret Mead
