Programs / Microfinance / Communities / Tomatín «

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About Tomatín

Tomatín is a community with a population of approximately 256 people
living in 58 homes. It is located in a valley belonging to the municipality
of San Juan de Flores, in the department of Francisco Morazán. Tomatín

is an agricultural community relying on the production of corn, beans,

and plantains for sustenance. The average family only earns about 

Lempiras ($90.00) per month, which averages to less than $1.00 per
person per day. Prior to the creation of the community bank, they had

no access to formal financial services.

 

Tomatín's Economic Challenge

Many of the community members in Tomatín  work in agriculture on

their own land. To earn money for the necessities, many work at the

nearby sugar cane factory. This is not stable employment; community

members are hired on a daily basis and only receive 120 HNL or US $6.00

per day. 

 

Prior to the creation of the community bank, community members could

not access formal financial institutions. They were inaccessible due to

distance and cost. They also generally did not approve loans to community members as they do not have a fixed income, which made it very difficult for local microenterprises to grow and thrive.

 

The Microfinance Solution for Tomatín

The Microfinance Team began bringing student volunteers to Tomatín to do the following alongside community members in 2009:
     •  Train and establish a community bank
     •  Provide in-home financial consultations to community members
     •  Establish an agriculture store to sell pesticides and fertilizers

        to the community.
     •  Provide educational seminars to adults and children in the
        community on the importance of savings, loans, and interest  rates.

 

Current Status

Microenterprise Operation and Expansion

Global Brigades' Microfinance Program entered Tomatín in 2009. The community bank has since grown considerably and now operates a thriving agricultural store, which earns about 8,000 HNL or US $400 per year.

 

 

Visit Other Programs in Tomatín

Global Brigades strives to implement a model of Holistic Development in communities through a system of collectively implementing health, economic, and education initiatives to strategically meet a community's development goals. Learn more about the other programs being implemented in Tomatín:

 

Medical Dental  CHW  EngineeringWater Public Health  Business  Architecture