In 2016, the Hanns R. Neumann Stiftung Foundation (HRNS) presented the International Women’s Coffee Alliance (IWCA) with a Microfinance Training Manual, supported by Earth’s Choice Women of Coffee Microfinance. Written by María Elisa Ruiz, Beatriz Fischersworring, Lucita Mendoza, and Verena Fischersworring, this manual incorporates information, methodologies, and best practices. Earth’s Choice Women of Coffee Microfinance President, Karen Cebreros and Executive Director, Roberta-Lauretti Bernhard, created the “Earth's Choice Learning Loan” program to provide access to affordable loans.  The program utilizes the manual to empower women and to learn crucial loan management and business skills.

As captured in the recent ICO Report, Gender Equality in the Coffee Sector, women coffee producers are among the most vulnerable in the coffee value chain, especially given that they have the lowest access to finance. As a result, they often have fewer resources and limited ability to invest in their own farms.

Access to Available Resources

The IWCA - together with HRNS and Earth’s Choice - are on a mission to change this. The Microfinance Manual provides a unique, accessible, and hands-on approach on how to improve women’s access to credit and share the skills and knowledge on managing funds efficiently and effectively. We want to make sure that all members and beneficiaries of the IWCA have access to this manual. But to do this, we need your help.

Currently, this manual is available in Spanish. As of this writing, IWCA Chapters are present in 22 countries, representing an estimated 800+ members and thousands of beneficiaries. Whereas nine of IWCA’s 22 Chapters are Spanish speaking, the remaining 13 communicate in English, French, and Portuguese.

Small Donation, Big Impact

With your support of $25 or more, we can raise the estimated $10,000 needed to translate the microfinance manual into English, French, and Portuguese and make the possibilities of micro-finance accessible across the globe.

To make a donation, please visit the IWCA Online Donation Portal, and select the “Microfinance Manual Translation” from the dropdown menu. If you would like to receive a copy of the Spanish Manual, please simply indicate this in a note when you make your donation.

About the Manual

The Microfinance Management Training Manual promotes the economic and social empowerment of women by developing entrepreneurial, business, and administration skills to help women more effectively and efficiently manage their own microcredits and realize their business goals. Training focuses on women entrepreneurs who work individually, with a family business, or as part of associations.

The proposed training methodology uses a “learning loan” model, created for women entrepreneurs who do not have sufficient loan access, guarantees, or experience in successfully managing loans. Training is participatory, practical, and accessible for women with all levels of education: using real life experiences from participants, lessons are learned and good business management practices are drawn out.

Training Manual Objectives

• Promote mechanisms to improve access to microcredits as part of a solidarity economy

• Introduce the fundamentals on establishing a successful enterprise

• Familiarize women with the basic principles of a loan, including costs and price setting

• Improve management and administration of microfinances by women entrepreneurs, supporting better income generation to ultimately improve family and community welfare.