"From my experience, I gained an understanding of my responsibility to serve because I can, because I have been blessed to have the resources to turn away from my and my family's immediate needs and look outward. I never expected to gain such a pressing understanding of my need to serve. I never expected to meet people who were so much "better" than I am, who had so much to teach me of compassion, of self sacrifice and of hope. I feel that I was literally healed by the people of El Salvador as they changed my perspective and expectations."
Providing the skills and opportunities to start and sustain small businesses is one of the most sustainable tools in eliminating poverty. HELP participants teeach business concepts through activities and discussion.
Students apply skills, knowledge and examples that are relevant to their own immediate environment. In 2009 188 people graduated from HELP International business courses.
We also incorporate a product called the BEST Game (a product of Making Cents International), which is a highly interactive business simulation game that engages the participants in a virtual market of producers, buyers, sellers and consumer. The BEST Game does not simply show and tell students what to do, but involves them so that the learning points are grasped in the context of how they actually apply in the real world.
In addition to this group instruction, we consult with individual businesses, helping them develop marketing strategies and improve accounting practices. We also work with in-country microfinance organizations. In 2009, we served 48 people in 3 microcredit groups.
"I spent two months this past summer in Uganda working on various economic development projects ranging from small business consulting to business training classes. My experience in Uganda was life changing. I witnessed firsthand the challenges that entrepreneurs face in developing countries and how I can help them over-come those challenges."
