See below some testimonials from community members that we support:

“We had the opportunity to exchange lessons learned from our experiences and share information that improved our ability to surpass our expectations in our vision and mission to attract national and international tourists to San Ramon. This experience has been very important to us.” - Luis Fernando M., Office Administrator, ADETUR, San Ramon, Nicaragua

“I was appreciative of the information presented in the ‘charlas’ (workshops) given by Social Entrepreneur Corps because I believe it will strengthen the businesses of Palmar and will help the efforts of the community to become more of a tourist location. All of the members of the association will benefit from the knowledge and information they received today.”
- Alex G., Caida del Sol, Palmar, Santa Elena, Ecuador

“The workshop the Social Entrepreneur Corps interns gave helped us to increase our group unity in the pursuit of our vision as a textile cooperative.”
- Carmen G., Asociación de Costureras Era Fashion, La Era, Loja, Ecuador

“The training will help us. It was a very nice experience, not only for me, but for the group as a whole. Everyone came back very pleased with the training.”
- Dona Amanda Pérez, Group Leader, Jippi Jappa, Boaco, Nicaragua

“I am very thankful for the visit and work delivered by the Social Entrepreneur Corps interns. I appreciate the work they delivered to help develop a plan of action and better management. I am grateful for their hard work and dedication.”
- Juan Carlos A., Owner, INTURISTICA, Boaco, Nicaragua

“I am very grateful for the ‘charlas’ (workshops) presented from Social Entrepreneur Corps and feel strongly that the information provided will help the efforts of the various business owners in the community.”
- José G., Vice President, Asociación de Microempresarios y Pequeños Productores de Palmar, Palmar, Santa Elena, Ecuador

“The students’ visit significantly helped Las Mujeres del Triunfo. We were very happy to receive the students, andenjoyed listening to their ideas of how to improve our organization as well as suggestions on new products. We are very happy.”
- Juana X., Las Mujeres del Triunfo, El Triunfo, Sololá, Guatemala

“We were fortunate to have hosted the interns from Social Entrepreneur Corps in our community. Their presentations were very helpful because they helped us to think of new ways of selling our sugar cane derivatives.”
- Manuel G., Board Secretary, Amor y Fortaleza, Timbara, Zamora Chinchipe, Ecuador

“The artisans both enjoyed and learned a lot from the Social Entrepreneur Corps team’s workshop. I am sure that they are going to start using these new tools in their businesses and their private lives as well.”
- Manuel P., Asociación Agroartesanal Razu Ñan, Pulingui, Riobamba, Ecuador

“There are few people in this world who understand and care for the “special needs” students and those withdisabilities that we work with here. The Social Entrepreneur Corps team understands that we are all humans, and that we all deserve to live life with hope. Thank you for giving us, and our students, hope.”
- Margarita G., Teacher, Special Education School, Quiche, Guatemala

“I’m thankful for the training that the Social Entrepreneur Corps students conducted in Guadalupe. I was excited thatduring the training, we were able to share our different ideas of how to reach out and promote my jewelry to more buyers!”
- Mercedes T., Grupo de Artesanas de Guadalupe, Guadalupe, Zamora Chinchipe, Ecuador

“After the Social Entrepreneur Corps students started working with us the people in the community began to seeProyecto Santo Tomas as a trustworthy project and now many community members are approaching me with interest and now want to get involved with our organization. We are seeing many more people coming forward and now we have a chance to really do a lot with the project.”
- Nelson M., Founder, Proyecto Santo Tomas, Santo Tomas, Huhuetenango, Guatemala

“Locals were amazed by the hard work of the Social Entrepreneur Corps students and inspired by seeing them with hoes in their hands embracing the spirit of volunteering.”
- Nitto G., Manager, Siyaphila Orphanage, and Founder, Savuka Africa, Nelspruit, South Africa

“All of us, the women weavers, are very happy to have the Social Entrepreneur Corps students visiting and helping us in our cooperative. We did not yet know how to organize ourselves in order to become successful as a cooperative and the students have been very kind and patient with us and have helped us move forward as an organization. The experience has been very helpful.”
- Reina V., Cajola Weaving Cooperative, Cajola, Quetzaltenango, Guatemala

“The work that Social Entrepreneur Corps students do for us is extremely important and has helped us significantly. The women and families who work with Asociación Lemá are very happy and grateful for their visits.”
- Rosa T., Asociación Lemá, San Juan la Laguna, Sololá, Guatemala

“The students’ visit was of tremendous assistance in our goal to move forward in our community tourism project, analyzing the strengths of each of the surrounding communities.”
- Sonia G., Escuela de Ecología Marali, Marali, Zamora Chinchipe, Ecuador

“Thank you so much to the volunteers for taking the time to go through a business strategy for the bakery. I felt it was extremely helpful and informative in helping us to determine where and how we can target the market. We look forward to your continued advice and support on developing our project.”
- Tammy V., Finance Manager, Baphumulele Orphanage, Khayelitsha, Cape Town, South Africa

“The interns’ contribution was essential for the professional development of the participants in our bank. In the end, everyone said they would use the materials the students provided, especially to establish a system of accounting in their own small businesses.”
- Teresa C., Director, En las Huellas del Grameen, Loja, Ecuador

“I am very grateful to the volunteers that come to support our people. I am especially thankful for all of the support that they have given me. They work hard to help me promote my business and with their help I have had great campaigns and great results in almost every community that we have visited.”
- Ana Esmeralda C. L., Entrepreneur, Soluciones Comunitarias, Nebaj, Quiche, Guatemala

“I am very thankful for the support that the volunteers gave us at the library. The truth is, it can be difficult for us as teachers to always have new ideas but when the volunteers work with us they help us bring excitement to the classroom.”
- Pedro Benito Ceto Raymundo, Teacher, Centro Explorativo, La Pista, Guatemala

“I can speak for the community in saying that we are very grateful for the visit of the Social Entrepreneur Corps interns. Not only are we happy for the donation that they made which will give our members access to emergency funds, but we were delighted to spend time discussing the issues that affect income generation in our community.”
- Carlos M., President, San Jose de Zhucos Community Bank, Loja, Ecuador

“I like very much that the students come out to give us workshops and training how to improve our products and our service. We are very grateful for the constant support and opportunities that Soluciones Comunitarias offers us.”
- Carmen P., Artisan/Entrepreneur, Principal, Ecuador

“Sometimes going out into a new community can be intimidating. The encouragement of the volunteers gave us a real feeling of security and confidence that we could do a great job.”
- Cecilia C., Artisan/Entrepreneur, Principal, Ecuador

“What we appreciated the most was the capacity of the students to share their knowledge, creating an atmosphere of friendship, cordiality and sense of community. Overcoming differences of language, race and origin, we felt equal, sitting around the same table.”
- Clemente A., Director, INTISISA, Guamote, Ecuador

“Before Social Entrepreneur Corps we had never received any real support, not from any foundation or NGO. A lot of people in the past had made promises to help, but never accomplished anything. These young people were different. They arrived, gave us an amazing training and in one day managed to make us a better organization, made us think about best practices necessary to be a successful small business and to improve what we already have. They showed us the path to keep working hard and I believe with that effort we will build a strong future.”
- Diocelina T., Director, Asociacion Juan Pablo II Vida Nueva, Guaranda, Ecuador

“Thanks to the marketing plan that Social Entrepreneur Corps interns put together, we will have a great opportunity to not only sell our produce directly to our clients, but will we be able to spread the great benefits of organic agriculture to the rest of our province, and hopefully to the rest of the country.”
- Don Rafael P., Farmer/Entrepreneur, Loja, Ecuador

“Thanks to the trainings that the students offered and the support that they provided, we have elected a president, a secretary and a treasurer…we even have regular store hours.”
- Fabiana V., Artisan, Cooperativa Nueva Alianza, San Martin Chiquito, Guatemala

“After working with the interns I can better visualize and analyze where I want to go as a small business person and how to get there. I am now even more dedicated to my work than before!”
- Jose Fidel P., Appropriate Technology Mason/Entrepreneur, San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua

“The students of Social Entrepreneur Corps helped us greatly….the rest of the town’s people now believe in our efforts to truly serve this community.”
- Idalma S., Librarian/Entrepreneur, Biblioteca Nueva Mundo, Huitan, Quetzaltenango, Guatemala

“In the past it was sometimes hard to offer health products to people in our hometown because our neighbors didn’t believe in us. Now, after the support of the students, people have much more trust in us and we can truly help our neighbors.”
- Irma C., Entrepreneur, Soluciones Comunitarias, Cantel, Quetzaltenango, Guatemala

“The presence of Social Entrepreneur Corps in our small fishing village has really made a lasting impact on the community. We have realized by working together that we can control our own destinies and make a decent living for ourselves.”
- Marcelo G., Community Leader, President, Neo Juventud, Palmar, Ecuador

“I will never forget walking down rural village streets with the volunteers while they tried their hardest to promote our village campaigns. It was incredible to see how willing they were to get completely involved and truly support our entrepreneurs and their clients.”
- Marta Lidia Sitan de Garcia, Director of Spanish Programs, Soluciones Comunitarias, Guatemala

“We were impressed by the students’ motivation to develop the project they came to accomplish. They showed spiritedness in everything they did: in their work, in their studies and in enjoying the Ecuadorian culture.”
- Mayra C., Director, Fundación Amauta, Cuenca, Ecuador
- Narcisa U., Coordinator, Fundación Amauta, Cuenca, Ecuador

“Collaborating with the students from Social Entrepreneur Corps has given me more confidence, understanding and incentive to dedicate the time necessary to make a profitable and sustainable business of my handicrafts.”
- Miguel M., Artisan, Neo Juventud, Palmar, Ecuador

“We are grateful to Social Entrepreneur Corps for providing support to us and to other organizations in this region. These are great benefits that continue to help to develop our people, the Ixiles of Nebaj.”
- Petrona Olivia B. P., Secretary, Turismo Ixil, Nebaj, Quiche, Guatemala

“I enjoyed very much working with the Social Entrepreneur Corps volunteers and I felt very touched by the fact that students from different parts of the world would want to give their time and energy to come to our country and support us in the work we’re doing here.”
- Rosa C., Entrepreneur, Soluciones Comunitarias, Guaranda, Ecuador

“For me and for all of the women who work here at Lemá, it is a great experience when the Social Entrepreneur Corps interns work with us. Their enthusiasm and interactive way of teaching us about things that can help us improve our association was wonderful.”
- Rosalinda Tuy M., President, Asociación Lemá, San Juan, Sololá, Guatemala

“The groups of volunteers that have visited our association have been a great benefit for all of the children and young adults in the area. With every visit our children learn more and more from them: culture, ideas—things that they would not have had access to if it were not for the volunteers.”
- Silvia, Teacher, Centro Explorativo, La Pista, Guatemala

“In the name of the Riecken Foundation and the municipality of San Carlos Sija, we give thanks for the collaboration and help given to the municipality to deliver a positive message to the population about environmental awareness.”
- Silvia Vásquez, Director, Biblioteca Fuente de Sabiduría (Riecken library), San Carlos Sija, Guatemala

“The Social Entrepreneur Corps volunteers were friendly and helpful.  Without their help we wouldn’t have formalized anything in our quest to start our own business.”
- Teodolinda H., Entrepreneur, Business in a Box: Peanut Butter Project, Huehuetenango, Guatemala

“I learned a lot during the ‘charlas’ (workshops) that the students gave…they even helped us with our promotional materials that we are passing out to neighboring communities.”
- Yanira, Entrepreneur, Panaderia Didi, Guatemala