The Mission Belt Co & Doña Alicia

August 08, 2012

Doña Alicia lives in Tecpan, Guatemala with her children. She grows tomatoes and oyster mushrooms in her small greenhouse and sells them at the market. In here spare time, she weaves traditional garments to make some extra money. Alicia was looking for some capital to buy some additional compost and seeds which will help her expand her small greenhouse and increase her production over time. With help from the Mission Belt Co and others she is buying more seeds and compost to increase her production so she can expand her greenhouse and give her family a better life.

Doña Alicia works hard to support her family. She wants her kids to have more opportunities than she had and her ingenuity and effort is paying off.  The Mission Belt Co was only too eager to support Doña Alicia in her business endeavor. Doña Alicia's project is the exact kind of project the Mission Belt Co is interested in. This is really a hand up and not a hand out. Doña Alicia will be able to feed her family better and at the same time sustain the growth benefits of a larger and healthier greenhouse.

"THE MISSION"

This project fits the Mission Belt philosophy i.e. If you give a man a fish he eats for a day. If you teach a man to fish he can eat everyday. That sums up our philosophy and it works. Some of the core concepts behind our fight against global hunger and poverty are:

• Sustainability & Self-reliance: That is the goal behind every dollar deployed. Our “Mission” is for families to continue to thrive after support ends. We think Doña Alicia will be able to increase her business and food output long after our capital has been deployed.
• Nutrition & Income: We work with organizations that help families reap the rewards of their animals and crops through consumption and sale of excess production. In this case we were able to help Doña Alicia because Kiva made her story and need known to us. We like programs and organizations like Kiva because 100% of our contribution goes directly to Doña Alicia and her family and none of it goes towards paying someone's mortgage in the developed world.
• Improved Management: This means that the projects we invest in focus on teaching families how to better manage their livestock and crops to keep them safe and productive. In the case of Doña Alicia she already knows how to manage and care for her crops. With the extra money she makes from selling her produce she will expand her greenhouse which will insure proper management and a very increased production.

We thank everyone that is buying Mission Belts. A DOLLAR from every Mission Slide Belt goes to help hungry families become self-sufficient, families like the family of Doña Alicia in Guatemala. We know that it makes a difference in their lives and we are committed to making a big difference.  Thanks again for being a part of "the Mission".

See more @: http://missionbelt.com/pages/the-mission