Home Nicaraguans find hope in buzzing and laughter Marcelo Paz Garca is a participant in a savings and loans group that was initiated and trained by MCC partner ACJ-YMCA. Marcelo participated in a ACJ training supported by MCC on small business and finance. With a loan from the savings group, Marcelo was able to expand his beekeeping from 40 hives to 100 hives.
Marcelo Paz Garca is a participant in a savings and loans group that was initiated and trained by MCC partner ACJ-YMCA. Marcelo participated in a ACJ training supported by MCC on small business and finance. With a loan from the savings group, Marcelo was able to expand his beekeeping from 40 hives to 100 hives.
![Meyln Mayorga did not save money before joining a savings and loans group initiated by ACJ-YMCA. Within a few months of saving, she was able to borrow some money and invest in her coffee and food preparation business. Mayorga completed ACJ’s small business training component supported by MCC, and learned about keeping inventory and managing budgets, savings and earnings. “Now, I write down everything from weeding to cutting coffee and sales from the coffee,” Mayorga said.”At harvest time I get about 60,000 crdobas [monetary unit in Nicaragua/about 1,700 US dollars], and the rest of the year I dedicate to making and selling enchiladas, cajetas and other food, but without neglecting the management of my coffee.”Mayorga said that her business is working well because “the community knows me well, and they always order food from me in advance. And the coffee is cyclical, but regardless of whether the price is high or low, it always sells.” Mayorga said recently people are buying with less confidence and more distrust due to COVID-19, and things are more expensive, but she is maintaining a profit by sticking with the business skills she learned during the training.](https://christianleadermag.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/MCC-coffee-grower-150x150.jpg)
