Junior Achievement at Colegio San Martin: Spotlight on Micolem

What is it?

The Junior Achievement Program, or “La Compañia” as it’s known in Peru, allows high school students to embark on business endeavors and get first-hand experience in what it is like running a business. During the program, students build and execute micro-companies - from business plan to production to liquidation - learning a range of skills such as planning, operations, marketing, management, and strategic analysis. The goal is to have the students contribute to and engage their communities. 

The team

The team from Coprodeli’s San Martin School in Pachacutec wanted to capitalize on a culturally important, artistic market opportunity: Marginalized Peruvian communities highly value traditional paintings, but originals and framing are often out of their price range. The students collaborated with a local artist and bought printings of his original canvas paintings and then built their own wooden frames to mount the paintings on. 

The team splits up and sells these pieces throughout various markets in Pachacutec and Lima as well as other events such as at school celebrations or in their communities.
 
Their goals

The goal of this year’s class was to sell enough paintings to fund a group graduation trip to Cusco - an opportunity inaccessible to the majority of marginalized community members. They sold each mounted painting for 10 Soles (approximately $4) but only profited half of that due to cost of materials for the frames. They calculated that they would need to sell 800 paintings a person in order to make their dream come true. We wish them all the best of luck as they continue working hard to reach their goal!
 
Check out photos of the Micolem team and their products!

Coprodeli USA Celebrates 15 Years!

Coprodeli USA Celebrates Its 15th Anniversary - Today! 

On when & why Coprodeli USA was founded
Coprodeli USA was established as a nonprofit organization on May 5, 1999 by Thomas McDonald after he spent five months working with children in Callao, Peru. He was inspired by Padre Miguel's passion for working toward a more just Peru so he started the USA branch of the organization to provide additional support to the extensive Peru programs.  

On how we've evolved over the years
Originating in Chicago, Coprodeli USA began as a group of dedicated volunteers - friends of Thomas - that were passionate about our mission. The passion never subsided as we evolved to become more strategic. 

Over time, Coprodeli USA grew from dedicated volunteers, to an organized board, to various full time staff members and a robust intern program. We grew our programs and support from receiving in-kind donations and financial support, to holding many events and volunteer trips, to child sponsorships and building strategic partnerships. Over time, we grew to have Coprodeli hotspots in Chicago, DC, and we now have supporters, staff, and long-term volunteers in both the U.S. and Peru! We are continually working to expand the Coprodeli network and reach out to more people and organizations interested in our mission.

On Coprodeli USA's successes & our incredible support network
Coprodeli USA's success in contributing to the sustainable development of many Peruvian communities in the past 15 years is undeniable - we have secured various financial donors, humanitarian aid collaborators, and wonderful volunteers that have led to a range of strategic projects, programs, and initiatives throughout the years.

We'd like to thank all of our dedicated supporters, both old and new alike, for your incredible dedication, shared passion, and understanding in the importance of enabling holistic and sustainable programs and services in Peru that improve the lives of those in impoverished communities. It is because of your support that Coprodeli USA has been able to provide such strategic and rich support for Coprodeli Peru's programs throughout the past 15 years, and we hope we can continue to build on our past successes to provide even greater, more strategic support moving forward.  

Thank you for all of your support - be it through volunteering, giving financially, attending our events, sponsoring a child, or donating to our cause otherwise. We hope to have you as part of the Coprodeli family well into the future!

Let's take a trip down memory lane!

                                                         A flashback to the first Coprodeli USA gathering in Chicago.

As we reflect over the last 15 years, we asked our long-time supporters and board members to share some of their favorite Coprodeli USA memories. One of our board members, Marty Kenahan, shared a few of hers. 

Our favorite? An eye-opening memory of a trip to Peru in 2005. Marty was organizing the first intern class in Peru  when she decided to make a t-shirt quilt for Padre Miguel and Coprodeli. While in the process of collecting shirts with various Coprodeli designs and logos, Marty came across a man in Pachacutec with a Coprodeli shirt that they had not seen before. 

"I told him about the shirt collection for the quilt and he immediately took the shirt off and gave it to me.  I was so touched by the fact that someone living in a shantytown with so few resources was such a great admirer of Padre Miguel that he would literally give the shirt off his back to show his appreciation."

Another favorite memory is from the summer of 2004 when a group of Coprodeli supporters from South America, North America and Europe all got together to walk 150 kilometers as part of Spain's Camino de Santiago. They trekked through various terrain and climates but learned a great deal from the journey by sharing it with pilgrims from all over the world. The group was able to raise $80,000 in Coprodeli's name through donations based on the number of miles they walked.

"Padre Miguel taught us a great deal about the history of the old pilgrimage tradition which involved prayer, suffering and almsgiving. We prayed together at a 600 year old Benedictine monastery where we spent one night with the monks who prayed throughout the day and night." 

Thank you, Marty, for sharing your wonderful memories with us! 

Do you have any favorite Coprodeli USA memories? Share them with us on Facebook or Twitter.

Learn more about Coprodeli USA's projects and strategic partners over the past 15 years, and how you can contribute to our impact by giving your time, talent, or treasure.

Altar'd State Joins the Coprodeli Family!

We are excited to announce our new partnership with Altar'd State and welcome them into the Coprodeli family! 

Altar'd State is a quickly-growing American women’s fashion retailer that is motivated by social causes and is dedicated to giving back to others. CEO, Chairman and Founder of Altar’d State, Aaron Walters, was serendipitously connected with Coprodeli through a common partnership with TOMS. He embarked on a one-week Giving Trip to Peru in August 2013 where he spent the week traveling to different Coprodeli sites and visiting our various programs on-the-ground.  

Aaron was soon inspired and sold on the Coprodeli model for sustainable social change. He felt particularly impacted by the Cañete Social Center which at the time only consisted of an elementary school. The community members he interacted with were working hard to get ahead in life but were limited because of their resources and the very nature of living in extreme poverty. Before leaving the site, Aaron reassured the community that everything would work out in the end. Little did they know, he was speaking of the completion of the community’s Coprodeli Social Center.

Aaron Walters and fellow TOMS trip particpant learn Festejo, the typical dance of Southern Peru, with the Cañete students.

Upon his return to the United States, Aaron stayed in touch with Coprodeli USA and we began to develop a strategic partnership. Through this new partnership, Altar’d State is generously funding the Cañete Social Center Project, a $212,565 initiative which will provide for a high school, a humanitarian aid storage center and a chapel to benefit 2,170 individuals in the Cañete community! 

Before this addition, Coprodeli in Cañete only had an elementary school, meaning that older children would have to change schools to a distanced public high school or begin working at 13 years old. As a result of this project, children in Cañete will now have the opportunity to continue their studies, receive a high-quality education and graduate from a Coprodeli high school. Coprodeli has broken ground on the construction project this week, with plans to complete the Cañete Social Center by December 2015.

Nelly, the lead Humanitarian Aid Coordinator in the Cañete region, shows us the area for the new expansion of the Center. Straight ahead is where the housing development will be constructed.

A view of the construction site as it is prepared to begin construction. The wooden structures serve as the temporary humanitarian aid storage center. The Elementary School is the sturdy building in the upper right corner.

Additionally, Altar’d State stores and associates currently sponsor 62 children in our Pachacutec schools and outreach centers. Sponsoring a Coprodeli child enables the high-risk children to have access to the support, education, psychologists, and nutrition they need. The basic yet very critical support provided by the sponsors allows the children to focus their energy on their education and future goals rather than worrying about meals or clothing. The Altar'd State associates are already lbecoming even more involved in their sponsored children's lives, seeking out opportunities to further exchange through videos, gifts, and Skype sessions.

Aaron Walters and fellow TOMS Trip participants at Coprodeli's San Luis de Cañete Elementary School in August 2013.

Thank you, Altar'd State! We look forward to a long and engaging relationship!

Learn more about embarking on a strategic partnership with Coprodeli or participating in a short-term volunteer trip to Peru. 

If you'd like to learn more about our incredible new partner, check out the Altar'd State website.