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Written by: Shagufta Parveen, Owner of SUAYYA Enterprises – Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women, Project Artemis Pakistan graduate, 2011

Edited by: Wynona Heim, Program Manager, Thunderbird for Good

Formal photo of Summit attendees

I was recently invited to attend the Istanbul Forum for Economic Cooperation between Turkey, Afghanistan, and Pakistan in Turkey on November 1^st.  Heads of state from all three countries were at the meeting, as well as the President of the Afghan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Vice President and Secretary from the Pakistani Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

There were three of us ladies from Pakistan who were invited to attend: myself (Shagufta Parveen), Shah Rukh (both of us 10,000 Women graduates), and Saddaf.  We were pleased to meet four fellow businesswomen from Afghanistan who are graduates of our sister 10,000 Women program there: Fatima Akbari, her daughter Shahla, Andeisha Farid, and Malalai Jawad.

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By Amy Scerra

Thunderbird for Good recently welcomed nine radio and TV station owners and managers from the Afghan provinces for ten days of business training.

The United States Army developed this special program in partnership with American Councils for International Education, Thunderbird School of Global Management and Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism.

Our goal was to train and support these men on their new journey of building and growing free-speech practicing media stations. These men feel a sense of duty to promote fair, balanced and responsible journalism.

When the group arrived, I was immediately greeted with ten outstretched hands waiting to shake mine, friendly faces and excited greetings in both Pashto and English. Gratitude for the opportunity to learn and study not only in America, but at Thunderbird. Seems our reputation precedes us in Afghanistan!

As we discussed the schedule for the day, the men seemed a bit apprehensive, but positive about September 11th. I later learned that they were uncertain of their safety, and how Americans would treat them on such a sensitive day. Their families and colleagues at home were nervous for them, and this didn’t add to their comfort. When I explained we would be at a mosque for the day, their tension seemed to ease. They all expressed gratitude that we were able to commemorate and honor September 11th with this special service.

Joining us at the mosque just before afternoon prayers began were Thunderbird faculty Dr. Karen Walch and Dr. Eileen Borris, alumni Shamshad Khan and Erron Boes, and Thunderbird for Good staff member, Wynona Heim. We were immediately welcomed as special guests, the women crossing over to the men’s side for photos, introductions and greetings.

The beautiful afternoon prayers were spoken, and we again became one congregation. Sitting on the floor, legs crossed, circles of friendship forming as we listened to Imam Didmar speak to us about what it means to be an American Muslim post September 11th. We heard stories of intolerance, misplaced fear, and discrimination. We also heard solutions to eliminate the walls the “us” vs. “them” mentality creates. Part of the answer is education. The more truthful knowlege people have, the less they’ll assume, stereotype, discriminate or hate. One participant expressed that this was the first time he felt like Americans understood that 9/11 was a tragedy to them too. It turned their lives upside down as well.

United we stood, side by side, discussing education and hope. Forgiveness and progress. These men are the agents of change in Afghanistan. They are committed to using their media outlets as forces for good, stopping hurtful propaganda, no matter the security issues they face because of it. Their week at Thunderbird was starting out on the right foot, as we agreed that our goals were the same. Education, sustainability, change and understanding.

And now, the universal language of food was spoken! The gracious and generous Afghan members of the mosque cooked a gigantic spread of authentic dishes for us all. We ate until we couldn’t eat any more! Amazing food, inspiring day, and just the beginning of an intensive week of business training!

By Marcela Cubas

MBA Candidate, 2011

Proyecto Salta ha significado una de las experiencias más enriquecedoras para cada uno de los miembros en el equipo. Durante estos 3 meses, no sólo las mujeres han ganado más habilidades para poder operar mejor sus negocios, pero nosotros también hemos aprendido mucho de ellas!

Gracias a ellas, nos hemos enriquecido con el coraje, fuerza de voluntad y ganas de salir adelante que cada una de estas 120 mujeres empresarias peruanas llevan consigo.
Es admirable ver como, a pesar de tantas dificultades familiares, económicas y/o de autoestima, ellas siguen buscando el camino al éxito.

Estas mujeres intrínsecamente están ligadas a vidas difíciles, muchas veces llenas de un pasado colmado de sufrimiento, sin embargo siempre llevan consigo una mirada de esperanza en que sus vidas serán mejor en un futuro. Fue sumamente gratificante para nosotros el poder contribuir a delinear este camino al éxito!

En estos 3 meses, pudimos conocer a profundidad las necesidades de cada una de estas mujeres, sus sueños, su vida familiar, las dificultades que pasan en el negocio y muchos demás aspectos que son, sin lugar a duda, indispensables para superarse como empresarias.

Después de esta enriquecedora experiencia sólo nos queda agradecer a los organizadores del programa, a Thunderbird por hacer posible esta experiencia y sobretodo a nuestras excelentes mujeres, ya que sin ellas, este programa no tendría sentido! Esperamos haber podido despertar cada vez más el espíritu emprendedor en las mujeres peruanas y nos llevamos un permanente recuerdo de ellas, los momentos que pasamos y las experiencias de vida que quedan en nosotros!

Gracias proyecto Salta, Gracias Thunderbird y Gracias Perú!

By Emily Winans, MBA Candidate, 2012

Each day we spend on the road, we have the opportunity to experience the dramatically different worlds that exist in Peru. At times, I find myself needing to adjust back to the surroundings of the neighborhood in which I live at the end of the day.

The majority of the SALTA Interns live in Miraflores, a city along the coast that offers a variety of luxuries and pleasant ways to spend free time. Perfectly landscaped parks overlooking the water are frequented by families and couples who like to stroll along the path and take in the view. There are endless opportunities to enjoy the Peru’s rich culinary arts with views of the ocean or surrounded by a pleasantly decorated atmosphere. We live near a grocery store called Vivanda that is more expensive than a street market, but is clean, has a wide selection of products, and an interior that reminds me of AJ’s Fine Foods in Arizona.

By comparison, the areas where we work have more trash on the ground, poorer infrastructure, and have a more disorganized feeling about them. Some areas don’t even have addresses. The majority of the homes have water and electricity, but not without an occasional break in service. Some homes further out into the outskirts of Lima have outhouses. In general, the homes have a dark drafty feeling to them. Homes are made of brick or wood and during the winter months tend to be very cold. Some homes do not have roofs or are not completely enclosed.

The Gini coefficient is a measurement of the income inequality of a country’s population. A high number indicates that a larger portion of the income is being taken by a small group. A Gini coeficient over 50 indicates a serious problem with inequality. Peru has a Gini Coefficient of 52. By comparison, the Gini coefficient of Nordic countries is around 25 or 26 and of the United States is 41. According to the World Bank statistics, 34.8% of Peru’s population lives in poverty. We experience what life is like for the majority of Lima’s residents when we work in districts like San Juan de Lurigancho which has a population of 591,213 or San Martin de Porres with a population of 385,759.  A smaller portion of the population, 88,344, lives in Miraflores.

According to “The Puzzle of Latin America Economic Development,” inequality in Latin America began with economies based on commodities such as sugar and policy making that favored the elite over the poor. The book also states that there is 15% excess inequality in Latin America as compared to the rest of the world. The high return generated from scarce limited capital is the source for 1% of the 15%. The fortunate owners of the capital collect the 1% premium. Another 5% can be attributed to the unequal distribution of natural resources. The majority of the excess inequality is the result of the slow growth in numbers of years of education. In Latin America, it is very difficult to move up in economic status. From my experience in Peru, it appears that a major source of the inequality is education. Lower income families cannot afford to pay tuition for a private school for their children. As a result, the children receive a poor education that does not prepare them to compete in the job market with people who have been educated in private schools.

The transition at the end of the day can sometimes be a bit shocking. After visiting women who live in neighborhoods with dirt roads and who warn me of the dangers of the area, I go for a jog in a beautiful coastal park. In the park, I see parents strolling with a nanny dressed in white behind them pushing their kids in a stroller and holding a leash attached to a fluffy dog in a sweater. At times, it feels like a nice escape from the chaotic conditions we experience during the day; however, I always reflect on the women I work with who are fighting the poverty trap every day. When do they feel any kind of an escape?

by Jacquelyn Hunter

MBA Candidate ‘12

The businesses we work with as Proyecto Salta MBA mentors come in all shapes, sizes and locations.  Some of the businesses are operated directly out of the entrepreneur’s home, while others have multiple store locations. One of the entrepreneurs I work with has a profit of only 80 soles (roughly 25 dollars) per month, while most have sales between 300-1,000 dollars per month. The majority of the entrepreneurs we work with are located in the lower income zones of Lima like San Juan de Lurigancho or Manchay, but I also work with an entrepreneur that lives three blocks away from my apartment in the heart of Miraflores, one of the most popular high income and tourist districts in Lima.

Two of the businesses I worked with during my first month in Lima as a micro-finance mentor were definitely not micro-businesses.  Both of the entrepreneurs, Beatriz and Laura, have businesses that sell over 40,000 soles (roughly 15,000 dollars) per month.  Unfortunately, both of these businesses that are much larger and more complicated share many of the same problems and challenges as the smaller and simpler micro-businesses, such as the lack of an accounting system and formal business training .

Beatriz is the dueña (owner) of an unconventional business for a woman. She rents, sells and repairs construction tools from two store locations, has seven employees and has had her business for twelve years. When I first met Beatriz I was overwhelmed because of the magnitude of her business, the loud welding and drilling noises coming from the workshop, and the constant flow of customers in her store.  Until Beatriz, I had only been working with businesses a fraction of this size. Not only did she sell about 45,000 soles per month, she also wanted to start importing tools and accessories from China.

Laura and her husband own a backpack factory, small warehouse and retail store in a large market. They make thirty different models of mochilas and bolsos (backpacks and bags), have sales of 30-40,000 soles per month, and have eight employees.  Their backpack store is located in Peru’s backpack market, which I toured, that hosts 500 vendors of backpacks all in one location- talk about competition! When I first met Laura and her husband I was surprised when they told me of their plans to travel to China within the next six months to import materials and products. Although I had a great deal I could tell them about China from my recent module abroad in Beijing, I had not anticipated applying my Asia business environment knowledge with the micro-entrepreneurs during the Proyecto Salta internship!

After learning about both businesses, I had a lot of research to do in order to be prepared to help these businesses improve and grow. Most of our Proyecto Salta resources are for businesses in the 25-1,000 dollar per month sales range, but when you are selling over 15,000 dollars per month, like Beatriz and Laura, you need higher level resources.  It was shocking to see that both businesses had no formal accounting system except in the minds of the owners, who are surprisingly good at remembering their sales and costs. Although I was impressed with their memories, I explained that they could only continue the mental accounting system for so long.  Beatriz told me to tell it to her straight, “Jacquelyn- I want your opinion- tell me exactly what I am doing wrong and what I need to improve. I’m so busy all the time and so stressed out that I haven’t even been able to figure out what I’m doing wrong.”  My first words were, “You need an accounting system to improve the management of your finances, business software to manage your clients and contracts, and your workshop needs to be organized and inventoried- how can you find anything when you need it? Ninguna maravilla que seas tan estresada (No wonder you are so stressed out)!”

Both businesses had the goal of expanding to new markets and increasing sales.  They had the capacity but needed help with planning and marketing.  Before I could help them make expansion plans, they needed help getting organized. I told them that the last thing they want is to grow their business more “desorganizada”.

I really don’t know how Beatriz’s business had grown so large in its current state, but I do know I would be stressed out too if it was my business. So much of Beatriz’s time was spent trying to manage the day-to-day chaos of the business, she had no time for her family or growing the business. I told Beatriz if she wants to be successful and less stressed she needs to make an investment of time- one week to focus on cleaning, organizing, and setting up a business management system in order to create new and organized processes that will allow her business to grow profitably over the next 10 years.
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By Marcela Cubas Ramacciotti

Las semanas han pasado en un “abrir y cerrar de ojos” y  ya estamos a la mitad de nuestro proyecto, en el cual muchos somos los favorecidos: las mujeres, los organismos involucrados y nosotros también, sin duda.

En mi caso particular, esta enriquecedora experiencia me ha dado una base mucho más sólida para afirmar que el gran desafío que Perú  aún afronta es el tema de la educación. Al sumergirnos en la realidad de los barrios más marginados de la capital pudimos corroborar, tal y como los índices socio- económicos indican, que el Perú es uno de los países con niveles de educación más bajos en Latinoamérica y el Mundo.

Es por ello que nuestra labor es de suma importancia para el Perú y para  aquellas mujeres que luchan por mejorar su calidad de vida. Estas mujeres, en su mayoría, no poseen estudios de secundaria ni mucho menos han tenido acceso a educación en gestión empresarial, sin embargo se las han agenciado para poder llevar adelante pequeños negocios, que son fuente de su sustento económico.

 Fue así que, con el propósito de mejorar las bases en manejo de negocios para estas mujeres, un grupo de T-birds  viajamos desde Arizona- EEUU hasta Lima- Perú, transportando los conocimientos que adquirimos en el MBA y brindando “herramientas” útiles a una comunidad deseosa por recibir asesoramiento en temas de educación empresarial.

Durante el transcurso de estos meses estaremos entrenando un total de 120 mujeres, dándoles asesoría personalizada en sus centros de trabajo, resolviendo sus dudas, motivándolas a seguir superándose y haciendo un análisis detallado de cada uno de sus negocios.

Gracias a Proyecto Salta hemos aprendido sobre las necesidades de las mujeres limeñas y nos sentimos privilegiados de poder participar en un programa que nos permite  conocer “a priori” la realidad de la población Peruana.

By Amanda Roberson
MBA Candidate, 2012 

“If you want to be happy, you don’t have to go out and search for happiness … just look for it, and you will find it in yourself.” This pearl of wisdom is among many Maria Frisancho wants to share with her fellow Peruvian women entrepreneurs. The owner of a successful children’s shoe business in a downtown Lima market, she started with little and grew her enterprise through relentless hard work and constant faith in her abilities. During our final Salta training session together, we sat at a table in the market’s cafeteria and she told me her story in hopes of inspiring others.

Like many Limeños (inhabitants of Lima), Maria’s family is from what Peruvians call the provinces, essentially the rest of the country outside of the capital. They moved to Lima when Maria was young. The oldest of nine children, Maria helped her parents and watched them run a meat business. Although she always had a latent entrepreneurial spirit, the meat business didn’t call out to her.

“I didn’t like to get my hands dirty,” she said. “What I liked was reading. I was always reading some kind of literature.” 

After finishing primary and secondary school, Maria’s studious nature led her to secretarial school, where she trained to be a legal secretary in hopes of later becoming a lawyer. She wanted to be able to protect her mother, who remarried a man who became abusive, she explained. Maria’s plan was cut short when she got married and had two children. Then along came the shoe business out of happenstance. Maria’s brother had a stall selling shoes in downtown Lima, and one day he asked her to help out. Immediately, the business grabbed her. 

“I didn’t know that I had it in me to sell,” she said. “I never knew that I had all that energy saved up inside of me.”
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By Craig Brammer
MBA Candidate, 2011

We all know the phrase “Looks can be deceiving.” If one were to look upon the hillside shantytown of San Juan De Lurigancho in Lima Perú they might make certain assumptions about the education level, ambition, and global mindset of its inhabitants. In the case of Flor Hurtado those assumptions would likely be dead wrong.

Flor Hurtado is a small business owner and participant in the Salta program that lives near the top of this rugged hillside. Flor is a bilingual world traveler who likes to read literature such as The Kite Runner in her spare time. Flor is fluent in German and lived and attended school in Germany as an adolescent. She has traveled extensively throughout Europe, and has a keen interest in world issues and diverse cultures.

Flor’s story is one of tragedy and triumph. She became an orphan at a young age and was sent to live in an orphanage with her sisters in Lima Perú. While in the orphanage she immersed herself in her studies and was able to earn a scholarship to participate in an exchange program that allowed her to study in Germany. While in Germany she became fluent in German and had the opportunity to travel throughout the continent. Upon returning from Europe she entered the University of San Marcos in Lima to study law.
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By Marcela Cubas Ramacciotti

As a Peruvian, being part of the Salta Internship has been an amazing experience so far. Many friends have asked me: Why did you choose Peru instead of a new country to do your internship? The main reason why I chose this particular project in Perú is because, even tough I have lived all my life in Lima, this internship is giving me a whole new perspective on the dynamics of Lima and the reality of how people live, struggle, and conduct business, even in the most remote corners of this big city.

Lima is a metropolis with nearly 9 million people that has been growing in a massive way during the past several years. For most international travelers, and even for many well-off Peruvians, Lima is essentially reduced to the districts of Miraflores, San Isidro, La Molina and Surco. Now I am lucky enough to be involved in a project that is enriching me with a whole new perspective about what Lima really is.

In the course of this last month, we have been immersed in districts such as San Juan de Lurigancho, the biggest and most populated district in Lima. This district is mostly inhabited by immigrants from Huancavelica and other parts of the Andes, people living in poor conditions who have become micro-entrepreneurs by necessity rather than choice.

Another big, interesting district we have been working in is Los Olivos, unofficially named the capital of the “Cono Norte,” or Northern Cone of Lima. It is one of Lima’s most prosperous districts with a steady trend of economic and social growth. In Los Olivos, you can find the expansive Mega Plaza Shopping center, which move millions of dollars and was created and developed by our Thunderbird alumni Carlos Neuhaus.

In the months to come, we will be immersing ourselves in other interesting and underprivileged districts such as Villa el Salvador, Villa María del Triunfo and Ate.

All in all, Lima is a city that covers a whole range of contrasts, interesting factors and by meeting each of the women entrepreneurs we are learning the reality of this complex and multicultural country.

As a Peruvian and native of Lima, this is an eye opening experience that is giving me as real understanding of Peruvian women’s necessities, struggles, dreams and lives in general.

I am also lucky and proud to be working together with such a brave, enthusiastic and devoted group of T-bird teammates. The four of them are from US and don’t necessarily have any obligation with Peruvian people, but they decided to fly all the way here to meet the needs of Peruvian women entrepreneurs and leave “un granito de arena” (a grain of sand) in the development of these women and of my country.

I am really happy that Thunderbird has given me this opportunity to develop a much broader view about my country and to meet a great group of T-birds, and I look forward to the coming weeks.

By Amanda Roberson
MBA Candidate, 2012

One week ago, the world watched as Peru’s election results rolled in and an unpredictable scenario unfolded: leftist candidate Ollanta Humala narrowly defeated center-right leaning Keiko Fujimori. It was a chain of events most people in the Latin American world never would have imagined, including a group of Thunderbird students who were in Lima just a few months ago for the school’s Latin American module in Peru. I was part of that group of students back in February. During Professor Roy Nelson’s Latin American Business Environment class, we studied Peru’s political past with regard to its economic development and discussed the potential ramifications of this year’s election on the country’s business climate. As we gave our final presentation, our unanimous assessment was that Peru was likely to continue its impressive record of steady economic growth except in the unlikely event that Humala, a wild card known for supporting nationalization of industries and being chummy with Hugo Chavez, won. But that was a very remote possibility, we said. A slew of moderate, business-friendly candidates were in the running, and one of them was sure to win. We were wrong. 

Now the world continues to watch with anticipation as Humala picks his cabinet members, holds his first official visits with regional leaders and sends other signals about his intentions for his presidency. So far, it’s been a rollercoaster ride for Peru. On Monday, the day after the election, the country’s stock exchange plunged 12.45%, a fall Peruvian media outlets called the biggest in the exchange’s history, forcing its closure for two hours (http://www.eldia.com.bo/index.php?c=Portada&articulo=Peru:-Bolsa-de-Lima-tiene-su-peor-caida-historica-tras-victoria-de-Humala&cat=1&pla=3&id_articulo=64837). The market and the Nuevo Sol currency began to rebound later in the week as Humala appointed economic moderates to his transition team and called for unity (http://www.forexyard.com/en/news/Perus-markets-rebound-after-Humala-sell-off-2011-06-07T172822Z.) On Saturday, the front page of the Peruvian daily El Comercio featured Humala with his arm around former Brazilian President Luiz Ignacio Lula da Silva, popularly known as Lula. Humala spoke of Lula’s success in bringing about economic development while including the poor and said that he will be “inspired” by Brazil’s model without copying it (http://elcomercio.pe/politica/776035/noticia-lula-se-reunio-humala-nego-que-exista-fantasma-hugo-chavez-sobre). 

So, what to make of all of this? Will Humala follow Lula’s example and embark upon a path of inclusionary economic development? Or will his presidency really mean the end of the country’s business boom? In this case, I hope our previous predictions were also wrong.

As I entered my third week as an intern with Proyecto Salta, I spoke to Peruvians about their opinion of their new president and their predictions on what it could mean for their country. Their tones varied from celebratory excitement from those who voted for Humala to grim yet hopeful disbelief from those who opposed him. Maria Fris Sancho is the owner of a busy children’s shoe stall in a downtown Lima market. When we met on Monday afternoon, she told me she was sad for two reasons: (1) yesterday, someone had stolen 500 Soles worth (about $165) worth of merchandise from her stall and (2) Humala won. Regarding the latter, she said she feared a trickle-down effect. “The big companies leave. That means less jobs. That means people have less money, and that means that they buy less shoes from me,” she said. Our taxi driver Erver, an enthusiastic Keiko supporter, said he feared what Humala was capable of, given his past as a militant rumored to have instigated violence. Others said that Humala’s chumminess with Chavez (from whom he attempted to distance himself toward the end of the campaign) meant the Peruvian leader now owes a debt to his Venezuelan counterpart, and the consequences of that repayment could be scary.
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