Pro Mujer--pro business.

• Author: Perez, Rosario
• Position: UPFRONT - Letter to the editor

I read with interest your excellent article, "The Next Generation of Entrepreneurs," in the August issue of Americas.

Concerned about acute unemployment among young people in Bolivia where nearly half the population is under the age of eighteen, Pro Mujer, a microfinance and women's development organization operating in five Latin American countries, began to provide micro loans to young borrowers ages 14 to 23 living in El Alto in late 2007. The pilot proved so successful that Pro Mujer Bolivia has expanded the program to reach a larger number of youth.

Pro Mujer has always required business training as a condition for receiving its loans, believing that women must have business know-how and skills to thrive as entrepreneurs. The youth loan program also includes training in the fundamentals of business and money management with emphasis on the importance of saving. Pro Mujer trainers use written materials, role-playing, games, video, and the internet to teach the material.

The youth loan program utilizes the village banking...