I have been aware of the Self-Development of People (SDPO) fund since it was established in the early 70’s. I always thought it was a great idea, a great way to provide support that respects and builds on people’s own leadership, but I’ve also been aware of many times when the criteria seemed so stringent that it was really difficult to be awarded the grant. It could be that the criteria have been refined over the decades, but recently I have heard of a way in which it was used that seems to me to be exactly what was intended by those who dreamed it up so many decades ago.
How the Saq B’e Sewing Cooperative Began
The group it was awarded to is the Saq B’e Sewing Cooperative, a women’s sewing cooperative outside San Juan Ostuncalco, Guatemala. The cooperative began as part of the Sewing School of the Mam Presbytery women’s group, which Albany Presbytery has supported for decades, when Sandi Thompson-Royer, a Mission Co-worker, organized a sewing retreat in which Mam women were taught to make products likely to sell in the US. Items like cloth napkins and placemats, table runners, hot pads/potholders, baby bibs, coasters, and roll-up grocery bags were among their first creations. At the same time, Sandi’s husband, Brian, organized a group to renovate the sewing room at the Mam Presbytery office; we of Albany Presbytery supported the project with some funds. Unfortunately, there was some friction with the Mam Presbytery women’s group, so the Saq B’e group separated and is doing its work out of one of the seamstresses’ homes.
Growth, Expansion, and the Path to Official Business Status
Over the years, I’ve been visiting them and buying their products; they have expanded their offerings, acquired new, more modern sewing machines, and expanded their space in various ways. Sandi and Brian help them to find a market in the United States, and they sell their wares to visiting groups and in their local community. One hindrance to their ability to expand their market and work with various businesses was that they did not have “official business” status in Guatemala, which, under Guatemalan economic law, is required to issue invoices and receipts.
The Role of CEDEPCA in Expanding Opportunity
With help from folks at Protestant Center for Pastoral Studies in Central America (El Centro Evangélico de Estudios Pastorales en Centroamérica CEDEPCA), they applied for and were awarded funds to cover all the legal costs required to become an official business and are now able to operate at a higher level in terms of business and market accessibility. In recent years, CEDEPCA has become the conduit for several of the PC(USA) funds that we support each year through One Great Hour of Sharing: Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, World Hunger, and Self-Development of People. Their connections to various organizations on the ground have made it possible for them to help those groups identify their needs and apply for grants, and their high level of professionalism has meant that the projects implemented have been well thought out, organized, and generally successful. Guatemalans are really good at doing a lot with very little – and through this partnership between PC(USA) and CEDEPCA, that gift has been enhanced and multiplied.
I’ve been so glad on these past few visits to Guatemala to see living examples of our SDOP dollars at work, and proud to be connected to the various organizations doing God’s work in these ways. The Albany Presbytery Guatemala Partnership Task Force is in full swing! Check out our web page to keep informed on our latest work and updates.
