Transparencia de Fundació CODESPA Catalunya
Entrepreneurship, autonomy and dignity for people with disabilities in Chiquimula, Guatemala
Since 2022, CODESPA has been working with people with disabilities—physical, hearing, and/or visual—and their families in the municipalities of Jocotán and Camotán, in the department of Chiquimula, Guatemala. Most of the participants belong to the Ch’orti’ ethnic group and live in poverty and extreme vulnerability. Through CODESPA’s EntreTodos project, Financial Education and Entrepreneurship Development, participants receive training in basic financial concepts and are also supported in developing their businesses and accessing credit, with the goal of enabling them to generate stable income and improve their living conditions.
The project, supported by the Fundación Seeliger y Conde, has served 31 savings and credit groups over the past two years, involving 126 people with disabilities. In addition, 201 caregivers of people with various disabilities have also participated in the project. This initiative has not only positively impacted this social group through the savings and credit groups but has also promoted community cohesion in shared spaces for people with and without disabilities. During these years, the project has supported the implementation and provided technical assistance to 74 businesses aimed at generating income for people with disabilities or their caregivers. The most successful initiatives have been grocery stores and chicken farming, although other diverse ventures have also been undertaken, including selling vehicle parts, bookstores, tailoring, bakeries, smoothie shops, and agricultural services.
Beyond entrepreneurship, these initiatives have become engines of cohesion, inclusion and social change for people with disabilities.
Stories of overcoming adversity and success
Los participantes de este proyecto han tenido que superar muchas barreras y retos para sacar adelante sus pequeños negocios. En el proceso, han trabajado con ahínco y aprendido, pudiendo contribuir a la economía familiar y mejorar sus condiciones de vida, así como las de sus familias y comunidades. Sus historias son de superación y éxito, que han inspirado y motivado a otros a seguir su ejemplo.
Baudilio, Rosita y Lissy, que han participado en este proyecto, nos explican cómo, a través del emprendimiento, han transformado su realidad.
Baudilio Esquivel, from daily effort to a fulfilled dream
Baudilio used to get up every day at 3 a.m. to travel a long distance to fetch water. Now, thanks to the savings and credit group of the CODESPA project in Jocotán, where he serves as treasurer, he has obtained the seed capital needed to install a rainwater harvesting system. This allows him to collect and store water, freeing up the time he previously spent traveling to fetch water. This way, he can now invest that time on his chicken farm, improving the quality and productivity of his work.
Baudilio has already repaid the loans that allowed him to launch his business. In addition to training and financial support, he has received instruction from CODESPA technicians, learning how to care for the chickens, prevent diseases, and plan his production. He has worked hard and persevered, overcoming the challenges he has encountered along the way, until he achieved his dream. And his small business, which started with one chicken coop, now consists of four. Today, his family not only sells chicken but also eats it, which in their community is synonymous with health, well-being, and pride.
Rodwin Ramos, a CODESPA technician, proudly tells us that “Baudilio is building what he dreams of and is an example of how a well-seized opportunity can change a life.”
Rosita Candelario, small steps that create great opportunities
Rosita lives in El Rodeo, in Camotán, a remote community. Due to a physical disability, she uses a wheelchair, and despite the challenges this presents, she has found a reason to overcome adversity and move forward.
Through the CODESPA project, she has been able to start a small store, where she sells groceries and essential goods. With her mother’s help, she manages and supplies customers an hour and a half away in the nearest town.
Gerlyn Molina, a CODESPA technician, tells us about Rosita and the motivation and inspiration she embodies, because “change begins with small things, and she transforms them into great opportunities. She also demonstrates that inclusion is built on real opportunities.”
Lissy Amador, entrepreneurship as a path to autonomy
Lissy has a physical disability. As a result of a bone disease, she suffered a broken ankle, which not only makes walking difficult but also causes her constant pain.
Through the CODESPA project, she has received technical support and is part of one of the savings and credit groups, through which she obtained seed capital that allowed her to start her own small business: a bookstore, where she also sells gifts and home decor items. She invests her profits in new products and improving her business. Furthermore, the income she has generated has allowed her to help cover her family’s household expenses and travel to Chiquimula for medical follow-up appointments related to her condition.
Gerlyn Molina, from CODESPA, speaks of Lissy with pride and satisfaction, explaining that “it’s inspiring to see how she transforms every Quetzal earned into an opportunity; she inspires me and is a source of joy and satisfaction.”
