Girls Work Program Turns Into a Business!

One of my biggest responsibilities right now is being in charge of this business for the oldest high school girls of sales. We’re working with the girls work program in the escuela, helping them make quality products, helping them sell, going out and doing publicity in Quito outside the Center.

Girls program is truly one of my favorite things in the Center. We’re teaching the girls the value of work and responsibility, helping them earn money for themselves and their families, teaching them how to make cool things (from chocolate covered bananas in the kitchen to sewing to making pretty bracelets). And now I get to work with the oldest girls in the high school in the Center, helping them help the youngest girls in the Center. Plus most of them were in girls program when they were in elementary school, so they understand what it is and really want to make the program better so that the girls can earn money.

It has been really cool to see how this business is motivating my girls program group, as well as empowering. Every week, we have 15-20 orders to fill from the people of Quito, and it has done wonders for improving the quality of the project. It gives them a bigger sense of responsibility to know they are making these products for a specific person. Also, I LOVE that the girls know that their products are wanted, desired in Quito. They may be 6 - 11 years old, but they have this skill that other people can’t do and a TON of people every week are willing to make orders and pay them to use this skill, that they actually enjoy doing!

One amazing moment I had recently was with the oldest girls in my group. I have 3 sixth graders, and I took them out to buy more string with me. I made sure they knew how to get there, and when I got there, I showed them what kind of string it was and what colors were available. Then I told them: “Now you all know where you can buy this string. You now have this skill. If you ever need to make extra money for yourself or for your family, like when you’re in high school next year, you just need to save to have $8 and you can buy this string, and then you can make a ton of rosaries and bracelets. You can do all of this yourself without me.”

Their eyes got wide like they had never thought of that, and seemed astounded but really excited. Later that night, I was eating dinner with the families, and one of the girls’ moms came up to me with her daughter and recounted the whole story to me how her daughter told her about me taking her to the shop and stuff, and how blown away and excited her daughter was by all of this.

This girl was such a pain in the butt last year - she was new to the Center 2 years ago and has had a really tough home life. She used to just shut down all the time. I have seen a huge difference in her this year - the first month or so was tough but since then she has made a 360 and she hasn’t shut down at all. Her work ethic has improved immensely and she out of all the girls is the most motivated by this business. I worked with the girls last Saturday to fill an order, and she was at the Center before I was, ready to work. This past Tuesday in girls program, she asked me to come back this Saturday to work again. So, that’s where I’m off to right now, to work with her and whoever else wants to at the downtown Center.


(I ended up working with a few girls, and one girl asked me when I was going to pay them. I said I wasn’t sure, but at the most a week, and she said that her mom had wanted to know so that she could pay for the cell phone. Another girl said that she gives all her money to her mom so that she can save it to buy new clothes for her and her sister. I love that the girls can actually help out their families with this money from the work program. Usually they just earn 50 cents to a dollar once a month or something so it’s just spent on a lollipop or whatever.)

---

---