Famous for her homestyle grilling, ESCALA graduate Benedicta Reyes has transformed her restaurant to keep herself, her employees, and her customers safe during the pandemic. Benedicta's business, El Gustito de Casa, is now open for to go orders in Lima, Peru!
Building Futures in a
Global Pandemic
Please consider increasing your support to SPI this year. Here's why:
We know we don't have to tell you that this has been a difficult year. Through much tumult and many challenges, SPI is continuing to deliver high quality business education to marginalized women entrepreneurs, empowering them with tools to keep their enterprises running through Covid-19 lockdowns and economic recession. We made a rapid shift, moving these programs from in-person to virtual. We put the ESCALA Business School online, allowing us to provide our curriculum and scale at an accelerated rate in spite of the economic climate. Your support made this possible! I think you will be as thrilled and proud as we are of these results:
100% of women said they improved the way they manage their business
84.2% of participants improved their business and personal finance
77% of students started using online sales platforms FOR THE FIRST TIME and accepting digital payments during the pandemic
Marlene Bravo is an ESCALA graduate who relied on the skills learned in the program keep her enterprise, Muebles Educativos Chiqui Innova, afloat when the pandemic hit Peru.
Peru was in lockdown from March to July and is still racked by Covid-19 cases, restrictions on movement, and a deeply depressed economy. You may recall that in March we were mid-curriculum at the Pachacamac-based Peru ESCALA Business School. We quickly migrated that work onto Zoom and WhatsApp (the digital equivalent of rubber bands and chewing gum). Nonetheless, led by our Peruvian team, we shifted everyone over to these user-friendly digital platforms without attrition, added extra mentoring sessions on resiliency, and graduated 50 students in July.
ESCALA GOES 100% ONLINE
We have now kicked off new 100% online programs in the greater Lima area for another approximately 100 women entrepreneurs. About half these students live near the archaeological site of Mateo Salado. We are working on a strong, dedicated digital platform that will enable us to customize the delivery of ESCALA and enable people without reliable internet connectivity to access the curriculum. This has been one of our great challenges and expenses, especially as universities and other large institutions are all doing the same and utilizing much of the expertise for full conversion. Nonetheless, we are continuing to deliver digitally with success and our goal is to reach more than 500 women next year!
These ESCALA graduates earned tablets for their outstanding commitment and effort over these past months. We know these grads will be putting their new tablets to good use, especially with the digital marketing and sales skills they have mastered through the program.
You make this work possible, and we thank you for everything you do. Because of your support, hundreds of women are still earning sustainable income from their businesses during the pandemic, enabling them to support themselves and their families during this unprecedented crisis. The ESCALA Business School has continued to survive if not flourish during Covid-19. With your help, we will continue to provide business education to hundreds of women entrepreneurs in the years ahead!
Again, if give before January 10th, your contribution will be matched!! Please double your impact and give now!
Larry Coben
Sustainable Preservation Initiative
Tax ID 27-2704326
Contributions may be made online here. Checks may be sent to our NEW ADDRESS:
357 N. Bonhill Road
Los Angeles, CA 90049
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