The poorest of the poor

This new apostolate began in the southern Mexican states of Chiapas and Oaxaca. Its goal is to help the marginalized indigenous peoples help themselves via loans to women for starting new businesses. The effort generates employment, increases family income and inspires the discipline of saving and reinvestment.

One of its first initiatives was to loan "seed money" to a few dozen women of scarce resources in order to develop small businesses and increase family income. The loans ranged from 50 to 600 dollars, which may not sound like much but is a substantial investment by the standards of these extremely poor people. It is an amount they can repay so as to generate new funds to help other women start businesses.

As the program develops and gains greater support it hopes to: reduce the level of poverty, create and fortify employment, stimulate productive economic activities, stimulate savings, give job opportunities and access to loans, and elevate family income.