Mud Recruitment

Hope House classes have started this month and I haven't seen some of our new loan recipients around or signing up for activities. So, yesterday I slipped out of knitting class early to visit a couple of loan recipients in their houses. Many of our new village banks are in the countryside, where there is dirt, rain and mud. I walked through the thick mud to get to the homes of some of our women. I found many village bank women and was able to give them the "official" invitation to come to class. In my experiences these past couple of years I have found that women need to make a personal connection with you before they will do anything else with you - or me.

For example, if I send the activity calendar of classes to women in a village bank, and there is a woman in that village bank who is interested in classes, she will be hesitate to sign up if I haven't laid the groundwork. She doesn't know my name. Doesn't know where the class is. And, she for sure isn't going to go to Cajamarca alone to class. Peruvians work in groups and the way to motivate one woman is to motivate many. I encourage the women to take advantage of these learning opportunities and come to classes with other bank members. Walking through the mud, dodging angry dogs and knocking on doors yesterday; the mud recruitment paid off. I got some new loan recipients to sign-up for sewing and chocolate making classes this month. And, yes, they are coming with their fellow bank members.