GENERAL ASSIGNMENT INFORMATION
Job Title: Small Business Promoter
Pre-Service Training (in Peru): June 10, 2011 - August 18, 2011
Dates of Service: August 19, 2011 - August 18, 2013
Peru's Small Business Development Program has three main goals:
- Business Counseling. Work with existing trade associations and businesses on topics such as business plans, accounting and finances, marketing, quality control, and organizational development.
- Financial Education. Counsel families and individuals on topics of personal finance, especially savings. Create "community banks" that generate weekly savings and provide loans to their members, who may not otherwise have access to credit.
- Entrepreneurship with Youth and Women. Provide basic business training through Peace Corps Peru's "Somos Emprendedores, Somos Peru" program, and assist in the creation of business plans to compete in Lima for monetary prizes.
SITE INFORMATION*
*I can't stress enough how much every site differs in Peace Corps Peru, especially for prospective Volunteers reading this blog who are looking for "general" information about potential sites. Small Business sites in Peru vary in population from 600 to 100,000+ and are located in both coastal and mountain regions, and the availability of internet, fruits and vegetables, banks, etc. vary greatly, even between sites 20 minutes from each other. Small Business sites can also be quite different from other program's sites in Peru, such as Water and Sanitation, since the needs of the communities differ.
Site Name: Monsefú
Location: Northern Peru, department of Lambayeque, about 20 minutes from the department capital of Chiclayo (population >700,000, 4th biggest city in Peru). About 12 hours by bus from Lima.
Population: About 22,000 in the city, about 30,000 in the district.
Economy: Monsefú is popular in Lambayeque and Peru for its handcrafts, which include high quality straw hats, baskets, and mats; embroidered dresses and household items; and wood furniture. A large number of artisan associations exist in Monsefú, some of which are supported by local/national government groups and some which are not. Monsefú also has a vibrant food market and many monsefuanos dedicate themselves to agriculture/farming.
Culture: Monsefú is known in Peru as the hometown of two of the most popular cumbia groups, Hermanos Yaipen and Grupo 5. Peruvian cumbia is a style of music popular in the northern coastal area. It is rooted in Colombian cumbia, but is fused with sounds of music from the Peruvian highlands and Amazon to take on its own identity. Monsefú also hosts FEXTICUM (Feria de Exposiciones Típico Culturales de Monsefú) every year during Fiestas Patrias (national independence holiday) in July. This festival draws significant tourism as a celebration of regional and local food, dances, music, and artistry. Typical regional dishes include ceviche and duck or cabrito (baby goat) with rice. The typical dance of the region (and most of the coast) is the marinera, and marinera dresses from Monsefú are typically black.
Here's a great overview of Monsefú's food and attractions during a religious festival, sorry it's in Spanish. Skip to 3:00 for some quick looks at the food market and to 5:00 to see the artisan park. These are the most central, important parts of the town, the other streets are definitely not as picturesque!
And here's a video showcasing some of Monsefú's culture during FEXTICUM.
