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Beyond ACAP’s Donation to El Refugio,
Center for Abandoned Children
By Tanilee Eichelberger

Many not-for-profit organizations attempt to provide their communities with the tools and means to help themselves. NGOs have nothing but good intentions, however, giving direct handouts is not a sustainable form of support and moreover can often negatively affect the self-esteem one feels when requesting and receiving funds or services.

A few of the hand-painted greeting cards produced at El Refugio. Call your ACAP office for information on how to purchase them. Photos by Kevin Hunt

If this is the case, why then can ACAP's donations to an organization like El Refugio be such a success? Providing milk and diapers helps El Refugio meet their mission of providing safe child care and nurturing environment for children at risk. But even more imperative to their success, is ACAP's ability to support El Refugio's entrepreneurial small business endeavor in creating a product line and employing local mothers in Ventanilla and Pachacutec; many of whom receive direct childcare through El Refugio.

Employing these women as artisans not only provides a source of income, but more importantly a sense of self-accomplishment, a positive feeling of self worth and increased self esteem. Such benefits enable women the ability to believe in themselves and evoke change their lives, raising the bar for their own expectations so as to become better role models for their children.

Although El Refugio must be commemorated for their social entreprenual efforts in alleviating poverty and increasing quality of life in Pachacutec and Ventanilla through their services and programs, their sustainability is gravely dependent on sales. El Refugio produces a variety of hand-painted greeting cards on recycled paper in Spanish, English, German and French. These cards are currently sold in Switzerland, Germany Ireland and Peru. Greeting cards run 5 soles per card or 48 soles for the dozen. If you are interested in spreading holiday cheer while simultaneously sustaining the demand for these women's work, please contact the ACAP office for more information.

ACAP can continue to impact the lives of these women and children through consumer purchasing power. With a face like these (this) how could you not purchase a set of Christmas cards?

By Tanilee Eichelberger,
ACAP Donations and Welfare Committee

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