Jennifer Temmer
August 12, 2010
Garifuna Women and the Rural Economy


On August 10 the CAUSE team here in Honduras hosted a social forum for the Garifuna women of Iriona. The event took place in the community of Cusuna, from 8:30 to noon. We all agreed that the social forum was a great success. In total there were 65 participants, 5 short seminars and 5 women who spoke about their small businesses, their loans and their solidarity groups. The seminars covered different topics. The women’s group “Galpon Casabero” talked about the Garifuna culture and local production. A representative from the “Red Comal” an organization in Western Honduras (Siguatepeque) explained about solidarity economies and creating direct links between local products and consumers. Our friends from the “Pastoral Social” spoke about their rural community loan project, “la caja rural” and co-operatives and Ronny Castillo, an expert in the local Garifuna economy, gave a motivational talk that got the women jumping on their seats. I did not understand what Ronny was saying because he spoke in the local language, but the women told me afterwards that they wanted him to keep talking! Although each seminar touched on different themes, there was one message that connected each topic: the success of the local economy and the success of the Garifuna families depends on a structured process of planning, smart spending, continual financial inversion and solidarity. The women received the message loud and clear and left the forum excited to tell the rest of their solidarity groups what they learned. Planning for the social forum was an arduous task with lots of details to take care of. But the CAUSE team came together and presented an event that was not only inspirational for each of the women present, but for us as well.

I am very proud of all our hard work and dedication, and I am proud of the women for taking the time to participate, being patient and open to new ideas and for sharing their experiences with the rest of the community. This was the first social forum that CAUSE has hosted for the business groups, but it will not be the last. We hope for bigger and better events in the future. I will be talking with the women this week in order to collect their reactions and opinions about the event and am hopeful that the multiplier effect from our work spreads throughout the communities in order to motivate and support the women in their business ventures.