The Case of the Misinterpreted ‘Hand Out’

Dependency in Microcredit/ Microenterprise projects:

How can Dependency be evaluated in a Microcredit/ Microenterprise projects?

Tiffany Thomas

PIM 63

A Capstone Paper submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a Master of Arts in Intercultural Service, Learning and

Management at the School for International Training in Brattleboro, Vermont, USA.

November 9, 2007Kanthie Athukorala

The author hereby grants to the School for International Training the permission to reproduce either electronically or in print format this document in whole or in part for library archival purposes only.

The author hereby does grant to the School for International Training the permission to electronically reproduce and transmit this document to the student, alumni, staff and faculty of the World Learning Community.

_______________________________________

Tiffany Thomas, Copyright 2007. All Rights Reserved.

Abstract

Microcredit and microenterprise projects are thought of as effective projects to

overcome poverty. Some of these projects however may also have issues like

dependency that could be detrimental to the project’s success. In this study I will

examine how to evaluate dependency in microenterprise and microcredit projects with a

dependency framework by Nancy Gardens-Shuck and Tasha M. Hargrove. I use the

framework to examine three examples of microenterprise/ microcredit projects to see

how the framework can be used to evaluate dependency. I primarily focus on one

project that I am familiar with a microenterprise project at Etta I, to explore in depth

how the framework is used. In conjunction with the framework and the literature on

paternalism and dependency, I determine if the participants at Etta I still continue to be

dependent even after they took a course on “How to Start a Small Business”. The results

of this case provide an opportunity to gain more knowledge about ways to utilize the

framework, find avenues of how paternalism plays in dependency and develop new

learning on evaluating dependency.

Table of Contents

Background Information…………………………………………………. 5

Introduction……………………………………………………………….. 6

Literature Review…………………………………………………………. 8Steps to Producing Dependency……………………………………………. 8Characteristics of Paternalism………………………………….................. 10How Dependency is Maintained…………………………………................ 10Dependency Perpetuated…........................................................................... 12Why are Microcredit/ Microenterprise projects so popular………………… 13What are the weaknesses of Microcredit/ Microenterprise projects ………. 14 Examples of Microcredit/ Microenterprise projects……………………….. 16Dependency Framework…………………………………………………… 17 Table 1 Dependency Framework…………………………………………… 17Model I……………………………………………………………………… 18Model II…………………………………………………………………….. 19Model III……………………………………………………………………. 19

Methodology………………………………………………………………. 20

Findings……………………………………………………………………. 23Model I and CVCD…………………………………………………………. 24Model II and Etta I…………………………………………………………. 24Model III and ASOHABA…………………………………………..………. 27Paternalistic Actions and Attitudes………………………………………… 27Dependency in the Sewing Workshop………………………………………. 29According to the Definition were the Women Dependent………………….. 32The Women’s Feelings on Dependency…………………………………….. 33Proving or Disproving the Microcredit Literature…………………………. 35

Discussion…………………………………………………………............... 35Creating Dependency Starts with Paternalism……………………………… 35Maintaining Dependency as seen from the Participants’ Reaction…………… 39Dependency Perpetuated…………………………………................………. 41Criticizing the Microcredit literature…………………………………........... 41Models………………………………………………………………………… 42

Applicability………………………………………………………………….. 44

Problems with Analysis……………………………………………………….. 44

Further Research……………………………………………………………… 45

Bibliography……………………………………………………………………. 46

Background Information

The Comedor de Niños “Etta Turner” daily feeds 100 malnourished children a

nutritious lunch and teaches a variety of job skills workshops to their mothers in

Montero, Santa Cruz, Bolivia. The families from this community are mostly female-

headed households and the main source of employment for women is washing clothes.

Therefore the Comedor de Niños “Etta Turner” created the job skills workshops in order

to help increase the daily living allowance for women from the community and women

who have children signed up for the program. Etta Projects is a non-profit agency that

operates out of Port Orchard WA, and is a foundation for the Comedor de Niños “Etta

Turner.”

The current Director of Etta Projects and her family members created the

foundation shortly after the death of the Director’s daughter Etta Turner. Etta died in a

bus accident while on a Rotary student exchange program in Montero. The

responsibilities of Etta Projects are to fundraise for program operating costs, employee

salaries, and to provide a method to export and sell the products made by the women of

the Comedor de Niños “Etta Turner.” The Comedor de Niños “Etta Turner” staff is

comprised of Bolivian, Brazilian, and American women who collaborate with 4 national

and international partners, 1some Catholic and others secular. In June 2003 the

Comedor de Niños opened and in July 2005 the Comedor de Niños Madre Teresa de

Calcutta opened. From now on I will refer to the Comedor de Niños “Etta Turner” as

Etta I and the Comedor de Niños Madre Teresa de Calcutta as Etta II.

1 Rotary International and Rotary de Montero-Santa Cruz Secular, Damas Salisianas Montero-Santa Cruz Catholic Church based program, Etta Projects Port Orchard Washington Secular and Proyecto Solidario Spain Catholic religious based organization.

5

Introduction

When I accepted the position as Project Manager for Etta I, the job skills classes had

only begun a few months prior. At this time they included one sewing class and one

crochet class. I knew going into this position that one of my main responsibilities would

be to help develop a microcredit/ microenterprise project with the sewing class. The

women had been learning how to make artisan products during the past few months and

they had shipped one box to the Director of Etta Projects, which she had sold to one of

the board members. Each woman later received an equal portion of money for her

products. However, the Director had a longer-term plan for the participants to have

access to microcredit so they could buy their own equipment and materials, thus starting

a microenterprise making artisan products. According to the 1997 Microcredit summit,

microcredit is defined as a program that gives loans of small value, for example $50-

100, to individuals who have low income in order to allow them to start a small business

and boost earnings for themselves and their families (Srinivas,

<http://www.gdrc.org/icm/what-is-ms.html> 1997). The United Nations Development

Program defines microenterprise as “a business with 5 or less employees, which

requires $35,000 or less in start up capital and which does not have access to the

traditional backing sector” (“United Nations Development Program,

http://www.bb.undp.org/index.php?page=microenterprise-development, 2007). In this

study, the projects I examined were aimed at using microcredit and skills training (if the

latter is true of all three) to help individuals develop their own microenterprises.

Throughout, I will refer to them simply as microenterprises or microenterprise programs

unless discussing their microcredit aspects, while recognizing that they include both

elements.

6

Microcredit and the microenterprise projects are designed to encourage a

specific role in Bolivia, one that sheds light on historical and current social relations in

the country. In the literature review I will explain how historically the indigenous in

Bolivia were controlled and dominated through colonialism and paternalism, which

continued for generations. . Paternalism is “… the interference with a person’s liberty of

action justified by reasons referring exclusively to the welfare, good, happiness, needs

interests, or values of the person being coerced” (Garren p. 334). I will go on to explain

how paternalism does not only help to create dependency but can also maintain it.

Furthermore, I will look at the other ways that dependency can be maintained and

perpetuated. Because I am looking at dependency within the context of microenterprise

projects I will explain the advantages and disadvantages of microenterprise projects.

Along with this, I will demonstrate three examples of such projects. I will prove that

when paternalism and elements that create and maintain dependency exist in a

microcredit/ microenterprise project, it affects whether the participants are dependent.

My main research question is: How can dependency be evaluated in

microcredit and microenterprise projects? In order to engage this question fully, I will

first examine a secondary question: What factors develop, maintain and perpetuate

dependency? In answering this I will explain how dependency can exist in an

antipoverty project because of forces outside of the participant’s control. I will use the

dependency framework found in the article “Indicators of Dependency in Participatory

Extension Education” by Nancy Gardens – Schuck and Tasha M. Hargrove (2000) to

evaluate three different microenterprise projects. One of the projects that I evaluate with

the dependency framework is the sewing workshop at Etta I. Therefore by combining

the literature on dependency and paternalism with the dependency framework I will be

able to determine: Were the women of the sewing workshop dependent on Etta I?

7

This case study combines personal experience with field research because I

spent two years and three months living in Bolivia, working on this project with women

from the sewing class and the organization’s staff. I will be supporting and building

onto the dependency framework laid out by Gardens-Schuck and Hargrove by filtering

the microenterprise projects I examine through the models, instead of participatory

extension projects such as those for which the models were originally created. Through

the findings, this case study will reveal ways in which researchers can better evaluate

dependency within microenterprise projects.

This study allows a useful examination of microenterprise and its value as a

realistic approach to alleviating poverty, while noting that there are certain limits to

these types of programs. My research will show that when implemented these programs

can also be used with a preventive tool to evaluate for dependency. The study utilizes

new learning in how to evaluate microenterprise projects for dependency. The results of

this study will not attempt to come up with a universal answer to, how to evaluate

dependency. Nonetheless, my examination of the case with which I am familiar will

allow for the exploration of possible answers.

Literature Review

Steps to Producing Dependency

According to Peet and Harwick (1999, p. 106), “colonialism was the system of

political control forced on conquered peoples.” The Spanish held Bolivia as a colony

from their arrival in 1530 until1822-29 when Bolivia was finally liberated. During the

colonial period, the Jesuit missions from Spain came to the Santa Cruz area in 17th

century (Prado, 2005, p. 20). At that time there was among others an indigenous group

called the chiquitanos who lived in the Santa Cruz Department. The literature suggests

that the Jesuits came and disciplined the private life of the chiquitanos. The Jesuits, like

8

the Spanish conquistadors, limited the chiquitanos’ self-determination through the use

of paternalistic policies. The chiquitanos submitted without resistance to the Jesuits

discipline and severity because they considered it better than the abuses they suffered

under the Spanish landowners. However, the Spanish and their Jesuit priests both

harmed the indigenous people. The Jesuits were more humane than were their fellow

Spaniards, but the Jesuits still formed the indigenous into what they wanted them to be

by making them humble and obedient and by teaching them that someone else knew

what was good for their people. Both the Jesuits and their fellow Spaniards repressed

the indigenous population, although the latter used force and the former used

paternalism. Freire (1971) explains that in this type of situation the invaders, in this case

the Jesuits and the Spanish landowners and conquistadors, set the rules, and the

indigenous had no choice but to follow (p. 150). The circumstances were such that the

Jesuits and their fellow Spaniards gained and maintained control of the indigenous

through domination and paternalism.

Unfortunately this domination does not stop at one generation; as Nandy (1997)

explains, these mentalities are retained and duplicated for future generations, well

beyond the colonial period (p. 170). This is because in addition to a formal settlement

pattern and set of power relations, “colonialism is also a psychological state rooted in

[these] earlier forms of social consequences in both the colonizers and the colonized. It

represents a certain cultural continuity and carries a certain cultural baggage” (Nandy, p.

170). This psychological state seems to stay with the colonized people because they

have been introduced to new ideas and systems of thought that have come from the

West and the next generations of people (criollos) are creations of these new influences

(Nandy, p. 170).

9

The events of colonialism in Bolivia changed and restructured the area and left lasting

effects for future generations. The Spanish first took over the indigenous people and

their land with force, and then the Jesuits continued this domination through changing

their religion, altering their way of life, and convincing the indigenous people to believe

that only the Jesuits could take care of them. The Spanish military, settlers and the

Jesuits all forced the indigenous people to accept their ways through domination and a

system of belief. This domination has continued and manifested itself in institutions

throughout the years.

Characteristics of Paternalism

Paternalism works as a form of control and dominance because in such a system,

the group in power does everything for those below; not believing they are capable of

making the right decisions themselves. The former has control because they can shape

what the latter group believes by convincing them they cannot do for themselves. At the

same time, the group exerting control believes they have to give because the lower

cannot or will not find resources for themselves. Those being controlled, in contrast,

believe they do not have anywhere else to turn. They believe they have no resources

except for what those above can give them and therefore rely on the others, believing

there is nothing better. Paternalism creates an attitude that one is not able to help one’s

self and therefore must be helped by someone else. Because of paternalism, dependency

can be maintained.

How Dependency is Maintained

According to Blunden (2004 p. 3), Hegel in his discussion in Phenomenology of

Morals, in the section entitled Independence and Dependence of Self-Consciousness, on

the master-slave dialectic, ‘…to depend on… means …to be connected within a relation

10

of subordination, [and] subordination equals lower status in a status order’ (Blunden

2004, p. 3). When the slave depends on the master, this creates an unequal relationship

thus allowing the master to have control and those below not to have any. However,

Hegel in his discussion says that neither master nor slave are free, since the slave lacks

what we would call personal liberty, and the master lacks independence because s/he is

materially dependent on the slave for his/her own well-being (Blunden 2004, p. 3).

Bartle (2006) defines dependency as “… an attitude, a belief that one is so poor,

so helpless, that one cannot help one’s self, that a group cannot help itself, and that it

must depend on assistance from the outside” (Seattle Community

Network<Dependency: http://www.scn.org/cmp/modules/emp-

pov.htm#SDependency>). This suggests that the dependent person or group believes

that they cannot do anything to change their circumstances; the participants react by

being dependent when they decide there is no other option but to be submissive and to

depend.

Bartle’s view also suggests that dependency develops from outside influences

that allow the person to see first-hand that there belief is correct and they need to be

dependent. In this way paternalism and dependency are similar because both cause (and

reinforce) a belief on the part of those in a position of dependence that they have no

other option but to depend on the upper.

Finally, not only does the person have to believe they have no other option but it

also has to be demonstrated in their life. For example, Freire (1970) explains “the

peasant feels inferior to the boss because the boss seems to be the only one who knows

things and is able to run things” (p. 49). Of course, this person sees they are not able to

run things because the boss is not showing them how to run them. Along these same

lines, if an institution demonstrates to the participants that the only method to progress

11

is by giving the participants something, then the latter will not feel they are able to get it

on their own, and that they need to rely on the institution.

As Gardens-Schuck and Hargrove (2000) explain, “…a feeling of inadequacy, in

turn creates dependency and subservience, robbing people of their self-respect.” They

go on to state, “give-aways can also blind people to the need of solving their own

problems” (p. 3). Therefore dependency is a belief in one’s inadequacy that is also

demonstrated through giving, which takes away their right to find the resources

themselves. The participant then stays in a state of dependency because they do not

think they have the ability to take control and manage things. One more situation that

takes away from the participant is when they are excluded from the creation process of a

project. In such situations, the participants are subordinate to the guidelines of that

project, and it is said that this is a circumstance that underlies dependency (Blunden,

2004, p. 12). People react by depending when these factors are demonstrated.

Therefore the characteristics of dependency are a belief that one is lower in a

status order thus creating an unequal relationship. The ‘lower’ believes there is no other

option and they cannot do what they need to do by themselves, and the conditions of

their lives reinforce in them the belief that they cannot support themselves. These

factors, when combined with the participants in a program not having the opportunity to

help create the program, thereby takes the power away from them, which is the very

definition of dependency.

Dependency Perpetuated

Dependency is then perpetuated by continuing with these behaviours and by

continuing not to allow one to find their resources. Freire (1970) explains “true

generosity lies in striving so that these hands – whether of individuals or entire peoples

– need to be extended less and less in supplication, so that more and more they become

12

human hands which work and working transform the world” (p. 29). For Freire the idea

of “true generosity” means that you give to a person but then little by little you show

them how to get it for themselves.

Why are Microcredit/ Microenterprise projects so popular?

The literature supporting microcredit/ microenterprise suggests that it eliminates

the paternalistic and dependency repercussions of other programs, in exchange creating

independent entrepreneurs (Lucarelli, 2005, p. 78). It is suggested that some programs

claim to help the poor by giving ‘hand outs’ meaning they give money, food, houses

etc… to allow the person to have what they need. However with a microcredit/

microenterprise project, the poor are empowered to help themselves. They gain the

skills to start their own business and generate their own money and thus become self-

sufficient. “Only by taking their own initiative and taking advantage of a ‘hand up’

rather than depending on a constant ‘hand out’ support of others, can the poor break the

vicious circle on the run and become independent” (United Nations Development

Programme, 2007). Microenterprise supporters claim that it has proven in various cases

to be an effective way to fight against poverty by allowing individuals who do not

typically have access to lending institutions, to borrow and start their own

microenterprise (Srinivas, <http://www.gdrc.org/icm/what-is-ms.html> 1997). This

suggests that if the poor could simply have access to capital then they could start their

own business, make money, and soon not be poor anymore. Thus these programs are

hailed as being simple and a boost to not only a family’s income but also a community’s

economy (United Nations Department of Public Information

<http://www.yearofmicrocredit.org/docs/MicrocreditBrochure_eng.pdf> 2004).

Advocates suggest microcredit programs will give families the capital they need to

expand their already existing business or start their own small business, thus creating

13

wealth for the families, and when the families have money they will spend more money

and buy more products from members of the community; thus the community will have

more money (Srinivas, <http://www.gdrc.org/icm/what-is-ms.html> 1997). “Today

small businesses are the backbone of the U.S. economy accounting for some 53% of all

jobs. The smallest of these firms, self-employed individuals and microenterprises

employing fewer than 10 workers…” (United Nations Development Programme,

<http://www.bb.undp.org/index.php?page=microenterprise-development> 2007).

Therefore if small businesses makes up so much of the U.S. economy and the U.S.

economy is functioning so well because it allows for job creation, then the idea of

microenterprise will also work in other countries.

Another positive aspect of microenterprise projects is that the income generated

will allow families to save because one thing that can set back a family is a tragedy they

were not prepared for or did not have the means to save for because of the lack of access

to money. “Access to secure, formal saving services provides a cushion when families

need more money for seasonal expenses and in tough times. Secure savings accounts

allow people to guard against unexpected expenses associated with illnesses, build

assets, prepare for old age or pay for school fees, marriages and births.” (United Nations

Department of Public Information

<http://www.yearofmicrocredit.org/docs/MicrocreditBrochure_eng.pdf> 2004).

Weaknesses that can be found in Microcredit/ Microenterprise projects

It is true that the upside of these programs is that they provide a way for men and

women to save money, build on an existing business or start a business when there was

no opportunity to do so before. However money sometimes is not all a family needs to

get out of poverty or improve their well-being. Therefore it should be noted that simply

basing a program’s success on how much a family increases their income is to ignore

14

other social factors that may have contributed to the situation (Lucarelli, 2005, p. 5).

Another issue is if a person has not had their own business previously or they live in a

very rural area they may not know how to access certain types of services that they need

to have in order to start a microenterprise. “To respond to a potential demand of a good

or service a rural micro entrepreneur may need access to one or more of the following:

transport, communication, power, water, storage facilities, and a legal system for

enforcing contracts and settling disputes …” (Roth, 1997 p. 85). Apart from access, a

micro entrepreneur may not have the opportunity to develop certain social relationships

that would help a microenterprise. This may be caused by lack of contact with other

social classes or because the type of social relationships that include, for example, using

a middleman to send goods to the city does not exist (Roth, 1997 p. 85). Also, in

comparison to the U.S. or European market, developing countries are sometimes in a

more tumultuous state. There are strikes and blockades, not to mention natural disasters,

and because a developing country’s infrastructure is not as advanced, if a road is

blocked for any reason that means that the other side of the country will not have access

to that product until the situation is resolved. In Bolivia particularly

“…they also are exposed to considerable acute risk because of the many factors that interrupt work – transportation strikes limit the flow of goods into the city and/or their ability to get to market, household illness, demands by family members (which must be met in a society of highly unequal gender relations), almost continuous pregnancy and dependent infants, etc….” (Brett, 2006, p. 11)

These are not only limits from weak infrastructure but simply the culture is different

than those of the U.S. or Europe in which it is primarily the woman’s job to take care of

the children (Brett, 2006, p. 11).

15

Microenterprise programs also can be limited because they envision the poor in the way

the bureaucrat or Director of NGO wants to see them rather than who the women

participants really are. Dutt and Samanta states (2006) that “there is a tendency for all

sides to label the poor as a homogenous group and to strive to develop one set of ‘best

practices’ to address the needs of what is actually a diverse population with a wide

spectrum of needs…” (p. 292). Ultimately like most anti-poverty programs,

microcredit/ microenterprise programs want to address the needs of the ultra-poor, yet

their needs may not be solved by simply giving them capital. There are other social

reasons for their poverty. For example, lack of marketable skills, discrimination, social

exclusion, and chronic illness may not be solved through credit.

“This is especially true for the poorest of the poor who, being socially isolated, risk-averse, and having few economic opportunities, is less likely to make productive use of the credit. They may benefit from the services that help to solve other pressing problems such as illiteracy, lack of skills, poor health, and lack of savings.” (Bhatt, 2001, p. 9)

Examples of Microfinance Projects

One example of a microenterprise project is a program called ”Sewing Out of

Poverty” run by an organization called Cambodia Volunteers for Community

Development (CVCD). Those running the project have male and female participants

who take a 6-month sewing class to learn patterns of typical clothing to sell locally or to

get a job in a garment factory. However absenteeism was a problem because the

participants had to work to earn money for food for their family. The World Food

program then started supplying the participants with rice so they did not have to worry

thereby being able to concentrate on their work (Annual Report, 2001). When the

participants finish their training those who wish to start a small business can take out a

loan from CVCD ("Sewing Out of Poverty").

16

Another example is the Association of Broad Bean Producers (ASOHABA) of

Puna, Potosi Bolivia. The members are indigenous Quechua farmers who produce

beans, corn, quinoa, and other crops on a few acres of land. Lutheran World Relief

(LWR) supports this group by providing technical assistance to improve the quality of

broad beans by introducing improved varieties and providing technical assistance such

as worm farming and the production of organic fertilizers. The members are benefiting

from this group by uniting their crops to sell in bulk so as to reduce dependence on the

middleman, which allows for higher sales to its members. They not only sell in Bolivia

but also in the U.S., Japan and Europe.

Dependency Framework

Gardens-Schuck and Hargrove (2000) explain that most facilitators do evaluate

for dependency, but informally, and their models are designed to evaluate dependency

in more of a structured way. However, as they explain, these models are only the

beginning (p. 3). Each model demonstrates the approach a program has taken, along

with an evaluation of whether dependency manifests itself, what to do about it and an

attempt to identify where it came from.

Table 1 Dependency Framework

Model I

Mandated Self-Reliance

Model II

Phased Self-Reliance

Model III

Interdependence

Where does dependency come from?

Natural tendency in groups

Institution or cultural environments

Facilitators and participants

How did it happen?

Give aways Learned behavior Do not label Dependence (“Dependence and Independence are necessary and natural dynamism” Gardens-Schuck and Hargrove, 2000, p. 10)

17

Who is responsible for resolving dependency?

Facilitators Facilitators Facilitators and participants

What can be done to fix dependency?

“(1) Involvement (2) minimize dependence (3) sustainability (4) next steps (5) effective as opposed to efficient … every effort must be made to minimize dependence of the activity, either in material or human terms, on assistance from outside.” (Gardens-Schuck and Hargrove, 2000, p. 6)

“Self reflective learning… that focuses on gaining a clearer understanding of oneself by identifying dependency-producing psychological assumptions acquired earlier in life that have become dysfunctional in adulthood.” (Gardens-Schuck and Hargrove, 2000, p. 8)

“No steady reliable locator for the right action when power and possibilities are unevenly distributed. Therefore action, founded on imperfect information, is susceptible to new conditions and fluctuating interpretations that are owned by many players.” (Gardens-Schuck and Hargrove, 2000, p. 10)

Approach Facilitator forces self reliance

Through self-reflective learning individual ‘un-learns’ dependency

Every case will be different

Model I

As the table shows, in Model I Gardens-Schuck and Hargrove explain that dependency

is something that naturally occurs in groups when a strong leader is present. This

coupled with progress only seen through handouts, and the participants not seeing

progress through their own work, creates a feeling of inadequacy, which creates

dependency. This model of dependency allows for people to not feel the need to solve

their own problems. They become subservient and lacking in self-respect. In this model

the facilitators are responsible for diagnosing and countering dependency by taking

certain approaches, for example allowing the participants to become involved and take

control of their group so it is owned, run and continued by the participants. Also the

material items or person that the group is dependent on must be minimized. This model

18

explains that at one point the group will go through a time of crisis maybe in the form of

disagreements or confrontations between the facilitators and the participants. This may

be showing their independence or their dependency but either way at this point the

facilitators may have to cut all ties to the group and allow the group to choose their own

path. This model makes assumptions of the participants, such as the notion that they are

resistant to change and the facilitator must work against the natural order of things

(Gardens-Schuck and Hargrove, 2000, p. 6-7).

Model II

This model looks at the environment the participant was in for them to become

dependent. It claims that dependency is learned and shaped by institutions and cultural

environments. Habits become internalized. Individuals in a group depend on each other.

This dependency is based on individual responses versus the group. Therefore the

facilitator can help the participants to become self-reliant through activities that allow

them to realize their own dependency and the problems associated with it (Gardens-

Schuck and Hargrove, 2000, p. 8-9).

Model III

Finally, Model III focuses on participants relying on each other. This recognizes

the need for dependency and independence but not as an ultimate state; simply put, both

have good qualities but when used together have even more. Therefore both the

facilitator and the participants are responsible for actions that have resulted in

dependency. There is no right or wrong answer to address if dependency manifests

itself; what the group can do by design, however, the group will work out through the

individuals playing both roles of depending and being depended on. Model III suggests

that a set of best practices when evaluating dependency cannot be used. There are

various issues that occur with every project, and one group may discover that a

19

particular set of actions works for them, while for another group this may not be true.

The scene of dependency is always changing; therefore you must continually update

your indicators (Gardens-Schuck and Hargrove, 2000, p. 9-11).

These models set up a guideline for when a project is implemented; the project’s

approach can dictate how one can identify indicators for dependency and give ways to

move a group away from dependency. These models also give an indication that when

implementing a project there should be settled, structured indicators that allow the

participants and/or the facilitator to evaluate for dependency during the project. The

indicators can then help the facilitators and participants to solve the problem of

dependency.

Methodology

A case study demonstrates decisions that were taken. It explains the reasons for

these decisions, and how they were put into practice. With this you can determine the

results. I chose to do a case study because I believe the case I examine demonstrates

that microenterprise projects may reinforce dependency patterns, illustrates how this

suggested dependency may have come about, and details some ways the facilitators

and/or participants can evaluate for dependency (Yin, 2003, p. 12). Using the models

within the dependency framework by Gardens-Schuck and Hargrove, I will demonstrate

their effectiveness in describing different strategies to evaluate for dependency in

participatory education projects and then build onto this concept by using the models for

microenterprise projects.

My case study has explained what a microenterprise/microcredit project is and

what the reasons for these projects are. I have also demonstrated their limitations – one

limitation being that dependency may become a part of these types of projects.

Supporters of microenterprise/microcredit projects claim that they are an antipoverty

20

solution empowering individuals to take a ‘hand up’ instead of a ‘hand out’ (United

Nations Development Programme, 2007). They say these projects eliminate the

paternalistic programs of the past (Lucarelli, 2005, p. 78). Therefore in my findings I

will inject the two examples of microenterprise projects, plus the case of the sewing

workshop at Etta I, into the dependency framework, using each model to examine a

representative microenterprise project. I have only been directly involved in the case of

Etta I where I was the Project Manager. The other two microenterprise projects I found

during my research. I use these two projects as examples to examine the other two

models in the framework.

With the interviews and the notes from my observations I will explore whether

the participants demonstrated the same reactions of dependency as the literature

suggests, supporting the model. In addition, I will look at the interviews with the

women to identify whether, after the attempt was made to break their dependency, it

still existed. Meanwhile I will examine the interviews from the staff and Director

looking for signs of paternalistic behavior that the literature suggests as well. In my

findings, I will prove not only that dependency exists in microenterprise projects but

also that the framework for evaluating dependency is helpful. With this knowledge

facilitators of and/or participants in microenterprise projects can be aware of the

elements of dependency, its negative affects and how to evaluate for it.

The results will allow for further insight into whether dependency exists in

microenterprise projects. This insight will build on the dependency framework because

it was originally intended for participatory education projects; however I will filter the

models through Microenterprise projects. Although I use three examples of

Microenterprise projects, this is a single case study in which I am focusing on one

21

critical case to test a framework and then use the literature review to further research

into the area of evaluating dependency (Yin, 2003, p. 40).

During the course of my research I gathered information such as emails, field

notes and interviews. I obtained field notes through participant and direct observation in

order to determine the sequence of events and to understand the roles and perspectives

of every party involved. I interviewed each woman three different times using focused

open-ended questions. The first interview looked at their experiences, feelings they had

during the workshop, and how their life had been impacted in a positive or negative

way. The second and third interviews were shorter, focusing on what resources they feel

they have, and whether they believe they were dependent on Etta I. I worked with the

women in the sewing workshop for more than 2 years; therefore when I approached the

interviewees I felt confident that they would be more candid about telling me their

story. Also I interviewed the women individually on three separate occasions because I

believed that with each successive interview they would feel more comfortable

answering the questions. By the second and third interviews I was able to ask questions

that would result in more in-depth responses. I interviewed each remaining participant

from the sewing workshop because they started and ended the class together; thus they

were the ones who were the focus of this progression. At times I did feel the women

were candid during the interviews. However, sometimes I also felt they were telling me

what they thought I wanted to hear.

Two members of the administration at Etta I were individually interviewed as

well, which included the Program Coordinator and the Finance Coordinator. I

interviewed these two separately because they both have somewhat different

perspectives on the events and I wanted each interviewee to feel comfortable saying

what they wanted. The Program Coordinator and the Finance Coordinator were

22

interviewed because they organized and started the class, were involved in managing

the finances for the group, and relayed goals from the Director to the women. In each of

these interviews I used guided conversations simply because the interviews evolved in

this way. We discussed topics such as why the workshop was started, what its goals

were, and whether the initial goals evolved into something else. We also discussed how

the workshop changed and how this affected the staff and the women.

Moreover, the Director of Etta Projects was interviewed in order to understand

her role in the situation. The interview with the Director was a focused interview and we

discussed how the workshop developed, what the goal of the project was and why she

wanted the women to participate in a microenterprise project. I was transparent with all

interviewees, explaining what my topic was and why I was doing the interviews. I asked

similar questions to the women, staff and the Director about the goal of the workshop

because I wanted to determine if there was a difference in how each person perceived its

function. I also asked all interviewees what they believed dependency was and if they

believed the women were dependent on the organization. I wish I had asked the women

and the staff their opinion of microcredit/ microenterprise projects and whether they

thought this project was the most beneficial for this group of women.

Finally, I interviewed the two trainers who taught the women “How to Start a

Small Business” from the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC). However I did not

find the interview beneficial. Because the comments they had made in the interviews

were similar to the comments from informal conversations that I noted in my field

notes. Therefore I choose to omit the interview and rely on my field notes.

Findings

In this section I will combine the models and the examples of the

microenterprise projects that I have previously mentioned to filter the information

23

through each model, so as to identify areas where dependency could be monitored. In

Model I and III I use the microenterprise/ microcredit examples I found to explain the

models. In Model II, I will use the case of Etta I. It should be noted that the interviews

and essentially the evaluation were done shortly after the women graduated from the

sewing and “How to start a Small Business” workshop in order to know at that point if

they were still dependent. After applying the models to the examples, I will use the

interviews to answer the other two research questions.

Model I and CVCD

Like Model I suggests, the facilitators for the CVCD ‘Sewing out of Poverty’ program

seem to have set up and written the guidelines for this program. Therefore the

facilitators were responsible for creating indicators to determine if their participants

were showing signs of dependency. An example would be to monitor a participant’s

reliance on the World Food program, or to find out if they repaid their first loan or

needed another loan to continue their small business. Based on this program’s approach

the facilitators might also see a group become dependent because of that group’s own

natural tendency; i.e., participants might not have the confidence to believe they could

learn the skills and move on, which is another area the facilitators would have to

monitor. If the participants did show signs of dependency based on the indicators, the

facilitators could involve the participants in changing the guidelines of the program. The

participants could set up sustainable group projects through which they could raise

funds and the facilitators, with suggestions from the participants, could slowly eliminate

the World Food program.

Model II Etta I

Etta I began a sewing workshop with women in the community in February

2004. A month after the workshop started the Director of Etta Projects asked the women

24

to make products from aguayo, a textile made by hand or machine in the mountainous

terrain of Bolivia. The Director wanted to be able to sell the products in the United

States in order to build up a donor base for Etta Projects. At this time the administration

understood that she would sell the products and give the profits to the women. The

administration set it up so the women would start making products in aguayo.

When the classes first started there were two Brazilian women volunteering with

the Damas Salisianas, (a Catholic–based religious volunteer organization in Montero).

They were in charge of the accounting and public relations for Etta I. The Finance

Coordinator, who was one of those volunteers but is now a member of the

administration of Etta I, said this “…workshop would give women an opportunity to

work from their homes”2. The Program Coordinator, who also had been a volunteer but

now is a staff member, said “…the Director’s goals were for the women to learn a skill

like sewing, learn how to run their own small business, and to learn how to sell their

products thus increasing their daily income and thereby allowing them to graduate from

the program.”3 The Director believed the women should graduate from the program by

becoming self-sufficient, meaning they would graduate when they were able to make

and sell products on their own.

In October 2004, the Director came to Bolivia and started interviewing

microcredit organizations to compliment the workshop. The Director wanted the

program to evolve beyond teaching a skill and selling a product, to allow broader

opportunities. If the women needed a machine to make the products or if they wanted to

have their own small store, then Etta Projects could provide that possibility by

introducing an organization that gives microcredit loans.

2 Quotation originally translated from Spanish by the author.3 Quotation originally translated from Spanish by the author.

25

The Director chose the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) to work with Etta

Projects and Etta I, teaching women how to start a small business and possibly giving

out microcredit loans. The MCC personnel had some concerns about the program. After

the workshop by MCC in an informal conversation they told me when they first came to

the program they believed there would probably be issues of dependency and

paternalism because some members of the administration (the Program Coordinator and

the Finance Coordinator) work with the Catholic Church. They went on to explain that

the Catholic Church has a tendency to act paternalistically in their development

projects.

In March 2005, MCC informed the administration that the women of the sewing

workshop were dependent on Etta Projects and Etta I. MCC rooted their view in the fact

that the administration made all decisions concerning the sewing workshop. The

administration ran the business, doing all the accounting, buying all the materials and

placing the orders from the Director. The women only had to show up to the class, make

products, and receive their pay. They had no desire to move on and sell somewhere else

because they had a steady ‘job’ with the sewing workshop.

In March 2006, MCC started giving classes on themes such as planning,

marketing, quality, figuring out costs for each product, accounting, and saving. They

started the process by giving the women and the administration tasks. For example, the

sewing teacher had to come up with a time frame for teaching how to make each

product that the women sold. The women had to form a committee and lay out norms

for how the group was to be managed. The administration had to delicately allow the

women to understand for themselves that they were dependent on the Director of Etta

Projects and on the administration to sell the products. The women needed to manage

the sewing workshop like they were running their own business. 

26

This case follows Model II as laid out by Gardens-Schuck and Hargrove (2000),

since the facilitators are in charge of the program and responsible for monitoring and

identifying dependency. Also, as the model suggests, dependency was first identified as

possibly coming from the Catholic Church; this would indicate a history of dependency

and therefore a learned behavior. The facilitators from MCC started the project knowing

there was dependency and they taught the women how to start their own business as a

solution to the problem. However Model II suggests in this case the facilitators should

use self-reflective activities to allow the participants to understand the role dependency

has played in their lives.

Model III and ASOHABA

Reflecting Model III, ASOHABA is a perfect example of interdependence, because the

members rely on each other to teach, produce and sell products, while also maintaining

their independence by growing their own crops. Also like Model III, the facilitators and

participants are responsible for the group and any issues that may come up. Like I

mentioned Lutheran World Relief (LWR) works with ASOHABA providing technical

assistance but they do not play a huge role in their group. If the group would need a

facilitator from LWR to do training, then the facilitator would have to monitor for

dependence; however, with this model the participants would also be responsible for

coming up with indicators for signs of dependence. Thereby the members of

ASOHABA manage their own group and any conflicts that may arise. They do not need

outside assistance and if dependence would manifest it would be a member of

ASOHABA depending on the group that being the idea of interdependence, everyone

relying on each other.

The first two models reflect reasons why dependency came about and how to

resolve it. Where as model III reflects what happens when dependency and

27

independence exist simultaneously. Model III demonstrates from an anti-dependency

standpoint, a seemingly perfect situation of a group working together.

Paternalistic Actions and Attitudes

Combining the literature on paternalism to the interviews I want to first look at

what types of paternalistic attitudes and actions were held by the women, the

administration and the Director of Etta Projects. At the time of these interviews the

Program Coordinator was most vocal about her paternalistic attitude; indeed, she

reflected on what her role was in creating it. The Director and Finance Coordinator were

less willing to admit how their actions were paternalistic.

The Program Coordinator said she saw the participants as being poor little

women; she did not think they could sell the products on their own. She also said “…

the Director must have shared the staff’s attitudes because her actions demonstrated that

she wanted to give an opportunity to women who did not have any, but by maintaining

them so they could get ahead. This led to apparent confusion about how best to help the

women become independent.”4 She meant the Director gave the women an opportunity

to make money from their products in an international market but she sold the products

and did not take expenses out of their profits.

The Finance Coordinator and the Director did not mention that they played a

part in having a paternalistic attitude. However the Program Coordinator said “the

women walked into a paternalistic program”5. She said, “…when the project began the

women were not owners of their own business. It was very comfortable for them

because they did not have to worry about managing the business end or looking for

things to make. The program provided an economic incentive…”6 claimed the Program

4 Quotation originally translated from Spanish by the author.5 Quotation originally translated from Spanish by the author.6 Quotation originally translated from Spanish by the author.

28

Coordinator. “Because it was opening up a market for the women to make good money,

and the international market is much better than the local one.”7

As to the women themselves, they enjoyed making and selling the products for

the Director because they said it was stable work. They only received money every

three months but it was a good deal of money when it arrived. They saw the money as

evidence of the Director’s efforts to help them. Despite the women’s attitudes, the

Finance Coordinator believed that the fact that the Director did not take out any

expenses was a problem. The women were making all the profit and they did not know

why they were making so much. As one of the facilitators from MCC commented

during informal conversations, it was as if they were showing up to the class, where

they were told step by step what to make, and receiving money for the time they were

there. The Finance Coordinator explained that she believed, like the women, that “a

miracle had fallen out of the sky because the sales were so good and there were always

orders”8. But all of this created a false expectation for the women, because the

administration managed the finances for the group and the women received the majority

of the profits.

The administration, which is comprised of two Brazilian women, had also been

selling products for the women at local stores. They said they went to the stores instead

of sending the women because they thought the storeowners would not listen to the

women. If you are a Brazilian, they said, people open their doors for you, unlike those

who are in a lower social status. The Brazilians believed the storeowners would not

allow the women to sell their products in their stores. The local storeowners did work

with the administration but the products did not sell as well as they did in the U.S. Soon

7 Quotation Originally translated from Spanish by the author.8 Quotation Originally translated from Spanish by the author.

the administration relied only on Etta Projects to sell the products because the women

were making more money from Etta Projects.

Another issue involving paternalism from the Finance Coordinator and the

Program Coordinator was they did not want to graduate the women saying that would

mean having to kick the women out of the sewing workshop. The women had become a

part of Etta I, said the Program Coordinator and the Finance Coordinator, so they did

not want the women to feel they could not participate in the classes like they had been.

Also, one part of the sewing workshop involves the women using the sewing machines

in Etta I to make their products. The Program Coordinator was hesitant to graduate the

women because she wanted them to still be able to use the machines.

These are all paternalistic actions and attitudes. It began with the Director giving

the women more money from their products than they could receive if they sold them

elsewhere. The Program Coordinator, the Finance Coordinator and the Director also

were acting paternalistically by selling the products for the women, denying the latter of

the opportunity to gain those skills for themselves. In addition the Program Coordinator

and the Finance Coordinator acted paternalistically when they did not want the women

to graduate, still trying to protect them.

Dependency in the Sewing Workshop

When MCC identified the women as being dependent, the Director,

administration and MCC agreed that from that point on the women should receive a

realistic amount of profits from their products, meaning the Director would take out

expenses like transportation, electricity etc. For the women this meant they were going

to receive less for their products from Etta Projects than they had in the past. During the

interviews the women commented that they had grown accustomed to receiving fairly

large sums of money every three months through the Director selling internationally.

30

Even though they had to wait for such a long time period, the money came in

consistently and as a large sum. The change was difficult. As the Finance Coordinator

stated in an interview, “she had always said that we were allowing the women to get

accustomed to the higher prices, and thus when or if there was a change the women

would suffer”9. The women were dependent on Etta Projects because the women would

never be able to make as much money as they did selling to the Director. They could

sell internationally to other organizations but the Director of Etta Projects did not charge

for expenses.

Once MCC, the Director and the administration agreed that changes needed to

be made in the pay structure, the administration began to explain to the women that they

were dependent on the Director to sell the products and the administration to manage

the business aspects of the group’s enterprise. One member of the sewing workshop

said that she “prefers to depend on Etta Projects, because it was a sure thing. Even

though they only received money every 3 months, it was consistent.”10 MCC, the

administration, and the Director agreed that the first step for the women to break free of

their dependence on Etta Projects was for them to start selling their products locally.

One woman said, she thought “…what are we going to do… we are going to have to go

back to our houses and sit and not do anything… I thought they would not buy from us

that we would have to depend on ourselves and not on the project, I felt really bad11….”

Having become accustomed to the Director selling the products for them, they had

never learned to sell, and probably the women like her, who did not have experience

selling, felt insecure selling the products.

In an interview concerning these issues, the Director of Etta Projects said “…it

became very clear to all of us that the women weren’t expanding their own products,

9 Quotation originally translated from Spanish by the author.10 Quotation originally translated from Spanish by the author.11 Quotation originally translated from Spanish by the author.

31

they weren’t thinking of their own ability …to use their skill to increase their income.

They were just waiting for us to place an order so they would get their income, which

showed us very quickly that they were utilizing it as a dependency job and not creating

their own co-ops or businesses from it, which is not what we had planned at all.” During

an informal conversation, MCC mentioned when they arrived at the workshop, all they

saw were women working for Etta I and receiving money for their work, without a

vision of why they were there. The MCC facilitators went on to say that they never saw

the women’s own initiative in the workshop.

One administrator explains that it took a lot for her to understand that they had

created a dependent relationship with the women. She felt that they had been doing the

women a service by trying to get them the maximum amount of money that was

possible. She did not realize that there was a downside to this. MCC’s arrival helped

them to see the negative side of dependency. One of the women from the sewing

workshop stated that the Director sold the products “to help us so we could better

ourselves12.” She believed that this opportunity would last forever. However, another

woman said, “I understood that it would only be for a time but then the Director would

quit selling the products13.” Some of the women understood that it would only be for a

short amount of time and others thought that the Director would continue selling the

women’s products forever.

Were the Women Dependent According to the Definition

According to the definition of dependency a person is dependent when they

believe they have no other option, they cannot help themselves and it is demonstrated

that they cannot help themselves. Repeatedly in interviews, the women commented that

12Quotation originally translated from Spanish by the author.13 Quotation originally translated from Spanish by the author.

32

they believe their resources are Etta I, the women in the sewing workshop, and their

family. Therefore it seems they do not believe they have too many options.

After the workshop on “How to Start a Small Business” some of the women felt

that by graduating them, we were throwing them out. Others said they prefer to depend

on the Director because the money came in consistently. However, still others felt after

the workshop that they could get ahead as a group working together. Some believed

they could help themselves and others did not.

In the beginning they saw the administration and the Director selling their

products. As the definition of dependency suggests, they saw someone else as being

capable of benefiting them in ways they could not themselves. Some women said they

believed the Director sold the products because she wanted to help them get ahead and

she knew the money would help them. Also they saw they could make more money

from the Director selling their products in the U.S.

When the workshop changed to a model where the women managed their own

business the Program Coordinator said the “difference could be seen in their self-

esteem.”14 She said when she looked at them she could see the change in their eyes and

you could hear it in their words; they had self-confidence. They made decisions

individually and consulted the group for final decisions. They seemed to feel capable.

Many of the women commented that their best days were when they realized they had

the ability to sell their products. Others commented their best day was when they

realized they could figure out on their own the cost of a product. Either way, when the

women started learning how to run their own business and then began to run it

successfully, their self-esteem became more elevated.

14 Quotation originally translated from Spanish by the author.

33

The Women’s Feelings about Dependency

For some of the women, being dependent meant receiving more help and

becoming independent meant they were losing help from Etta I. However, one woman

said “…it is not good to always be dependent because how can you get ahead if you are

always under someone.”15 She also believed that she and her fellow workshop

participants would always be dependent if they continued to sell to the Director. Before

the women took over the sewing workshop, seven out of the nine women agreed with

MCC and the administration that they were dependent on Etta I. When the women

graduated and became a small business only two of them still believed they were

dependent on Etta I because they still saw the administration and the Director helping

them.

One woman said she felt they acted dependent because they did not know how

the money was divided up. All they saw was the Finance Coordinator telling them this

is your share and this is yours, but they did not ask or know why one person received

more and another received less. Another woman mentioned when one of the trainers

from MCC came, she felt embarrassed because she could not tell her how much string

goes into making a bag or how much it costs to make a bag. The Director believes the

women acted dependent because “the poor community of Floresta has seemed to

developed a real dependency on the church itself and I think that is a very huge factor,

and not only in that neighbourhood but in Montero, in that the church is very powerful

and very kind of omnipresent in this neighbourhood and in Montero in general.” She

went on to say “…what we were not aware of when we began this project was that the

community in la Floresta has a long history with the Catholic church here, with that

they have a sense of charity they had really kind of created a sense of entitlement that if

someone was to provide a humanitarian aid function that would totally be free and be

15 Quotation originally translated from Spanish by the author.

34

given to them at no cost or responsibility on the other person’s part. This had been such

an ingrained element of how this community had been taught, raised. [It seems they]

had been …taught that charity or humanitarian aid is free and it’s at no responsibility to

anyone but the church itself. This created huge problems for us as we began…”

It appears that this history of dependency presented difficult challenges, but that

the program was able to chip away at it. Even though some of the women would prefer

to be dependent on Etta I, for instance, those same women also said because they now

know how to run their own business that they will not have to wait for their money at

Etta I anymore; they can go out and find other markets in which to sell. Another woman

said, “…the group can put their money together and they can run their own business.”16

As Blunden (2006) suggests a person is dependent when they are inferior to

those above them. However it is hard to say if the women felt inferior to the

administration. By personal observation I would say they did, because only one woman

questioned how much she would receive when the administration was managing the

accounts and dividing up the profits for the women.

Proving or Disproving the Microcredit Literature

The microcredit literature claims that these programs can provide a cushion

when families need money. I asked the women how the income they received from the

small business affected their lives. One woman said she started her own small business

with the money she received. Another woman said she could finally pay off her bills

that had been piling up. For another group member, the money benefited the family and

paid for her kids to go to school. Two women made much-needed improvements on

their houses and one of the women also bought a sewing machine. However some of the

women did not see the money as helping them; rather, the opportunity to learn how to

16 Quotation originally translated from Spanish by the author.

35

sew was their accomplishment. Some said they felt they had developed better self-

esteem because of this whole process. They felt they no longer had to feel intimidated

by their husbands as much because they also were bringing home money. They all

discussed the best thing they took away from this experience is the group of friends they

now have. They felt as if each member of the group had become their support system

and that they could accomplish anything with that support.

Discussion

Creating Dependency Starts with Paternalism

As I suggested earlier, paternalism came to Bolivia through the Jesuits, and it

plays out in modern-day Bolivia with anti-poverty projects run by the Catholic Church.

The Jesuits arrived believing that by teaching Catholicism and by integrating the

indigenous into their society, they were helping them. This was paternalistic because

they were treating the indigenous as if the Jesuits knew what was best for them – much

like how the Director and the administration acted, believing they knew what was best.

The administration and the Director acted paternalistically when they did not

take out expenses from the profits. The abundance of profits the women received from

their products benefited them economically. However the problem was that expenses

incurred by Etta Projects were not returned, thereby being almost like a handout to the

women. Etta Projects paid for transporting the products, electricity, and the expenses of

selling the products and did not take those expenses out of the gross profit from the

products. Therefore it was as if Etta Projects was not only paying the women for the

products but also paying them extra.

Another way the administration and the Director acted paternalistically was in

selling the products for the women. By doing so, they were essentially telling the

women ‘you cannot sell the products so we will do it for you.’ However, I believe that

36

the group would not have been afraid to sell their own products later if they had started

doing it from the beginning.

Although the women could not have literally sold the products in the U.S. the

Director could have taken into consideration the women’s need to be involved in the

international market in some way. For example, she might have encouraged the women

to consider selling internationally and empowered them to look for their own resources

to make that idea happen. Her immediate response was to improve the women’s daily

earnings, not considering the process the women should take to be involved in how they

are increasing their earnings.

What created a relationship of dependency was how paternalistically the

administration and the Director of Etta Projects had been treating the women. The

administration had an underlying belief that they should do for the women what the

women might not be able to do, like selling their products, buying their materials,

managing their accounts and choosing which products to sell.

Me being the Project Manager, I was apart of the administration. My role in the

paternalistic actions consisted of; I relayed all information from the Director to the

Finance Coordinator and the Program Coordinator, which included the women

receiving 90% of the gross profits. This also included enforcing the Director’s goals for

the project. I would also go with the Finance Coordinator and the Program Coordinator

to check on the sales of the women’s products at the local stores.

The women also became dependent because paternalism is acted out not only in

this institution but also in other situations in their daily lives. Paternalism seems to be

customary, a residue from colonialism. It is possible that the women did not second-

guess the administration or what the Director was doing because of those past

influences.

37

Another reason why the women did not question the administration may be, as

Friere (1971) says, that the subordinate person or the person who is being told what to

do may feel they should not think for themselves or do things on their own, but rather

that they should wait for the dominant person or group to tell them what to do (p. 49).

This is paternalism because one person acts as a paternal figure giving orders and the

other person becomes dependent when they act submissive, believing they should do

what they are told.

People have to realize their own accomplishments, and take ownership of those

accomplishments so as to continue to improve on what they are doing. This then can

negate their position of dependency because if they realize they are accomplishing those

things then they realize they do not need someone else. In this case some of the women

have realized their own accomplishments and some have not.

I believe the two main reasons the program was paternalistic are one because the

general underlying belief of the Director and the administration was to make the most

amount of money for the women. Two, because all stakeholders did not sit down and

plan out the program before it started. Both of these reasons allowed the administration

to misinterpret the program’s goal. However I also believe it was because none of the

administration had the experience to know the steps in implementing a project where

the final goal is for the participants to become self-sufficient. The program being

paternalistic may also partially be contributed to the fact that we were confused by the

Director because she said she wanted the women to become self-sufficient but then she

tried to get the most amount of money for the women. This was a learning experience

for all of us.

Paternalism in a sense starts dependency. It does not indicate that all of the

women will become dependent; it does allow a path for some women to become

38

dependent. If paternalism is a belief that those who are lower cannot get what they need,

and dependency includes the belief that one cannot help oneself and therefore that

someone else must do it for them, then paternalism initiates dependency.

Maintaining Dependency as seen from the Participants’ Reactions

If paternalism leads to dependency because the uppers create a program in which

the participants are protected, then the elements of preserving dependency include the

women believing they cannot do things for themselves and that they must rely on the

upper. When that belief is demonstrated multiple times, the belief is solidified and

becomes reality.

According to my interviews with the women, the majority felt they were

dependent on Etta I before they took the small business workshop with MCC. For

example, some of the women saw the money they earned as a give-away and therefore

did not have the opportunity to see how they could progress as Gardens-Schuck and

Hargrove suggest (2000, p.7). However not all the women were originally dependent on

the sewing workshop because some saw it as an opportunity to learn and to make

money for a time and they demonstrated this by selling other products locally. In this

sense I agree with Gardens-Schuck’s and Hargrove’s (2000) claim that not everyone is

going to have the same response to the same set of circumstances; even though they did

grow up in the same area with the Catholic Church’s paternalistic programs, individuals

are still going to respond differently to different influences (p. 7).

Although we set up a situation where the women could basically just show up to

class and get money, not all of the women relied on that one avenue – some of the

women continued to look for other ways to help themselves. I believe that at first they

were just following instructions, because they saw the group as an opportunity to make

money, as if the project was something outside of them, and not theirs. Like Blunden

39

(2004) states, if a person is excluded from a project they become subordinate to the

guidelines of the project (p. 12). Unfortunately, no matter how the workshop changed

they were always under the thumb of the administration or the Director. When the

workshop was structured they had no say, and when the workshop changed they had no

say.

The effects of this were clear. After the workshop some of the women still

proved to be dependent, saying, such as one woman did, that “at first we all felt

supported but we thought we would be here for a long time.”17 Another said along

similar lines that “I prefer to depend on Etta because there it is a sure bet. We sell our

work and every three months we got paid 500-600 Bolivianos (75-87 dollars), that is

good for one.”18

According to Freire (1971), the oppressed do not solely become liberated by

themselves or by others (p. 44). Therefore the seed of liberation has to already be in the

mind of the participants, and the experiences that the participant has must be those of

accomplishing things that they did not think they could do before. With this said the

participant must have to be both empowered by something outside of themselves and

believe they can accomplish their goals.

Even though after the workshop some still showed signs of being dependent, I

believe the majority of the women are no longer dependent on Etta I because that seed

of wanting to be independent was already there and through the small business

workshop they learned the tools to overcome the dependency. However that is not to

say that the participants could not fall back into being dependent in a different situation.

As Freire (1971) says, we are liberating humans, not things, and that suggests all the

frailties that human’s experience (p. 53).

17 Quotation originally translated from Spanish by the author.18 Quotation originally translated from Spanish by the author.

40

Dependency Perpetuated

Based on the definition of paternalism I have relied upon, the beliefs and actions

of those above, when manifested or seen, perpetuate dependency. A good example is

when the administration was buying the materials for the women and managing the

accounts. These were paternalistic actions and when paternalistic actions continue,

dependency is perpetuated. I believe it was also paternalistic for the Director of Etta

Projects to tell the administration how the project would be run without consulting them

or other members of the committee. When this continues, the Director is also indicating

that it is appropriate to tell participants how the program is set up, thereby continuing to

perpetuate dependency.

Dependency can also be perpetuated through the colonization of the mind. The

process of how the indigenous were oppressed hundreds of years ago is still maintained

through the poor being oppressed. This oppression came as paternalism from the Jesuits

and is continued through other institutions like programs run by the modern Catholic

Church.

Criticizing the Microcredit literature

In the microcredit literature, the practice’s supporters claim that taking an

opportunity to have more capital can allow a person to get out of poverty. However that

can only be considered in economic terms. Saying that when a family has money they

can get out of poverty relies on the assumption that the family’s only need is money.

However poverty is sometimes also due to other factors perhaps related but not directly

internal to a family’s economics, like lack of transportation because the city bus does

not travel to a neighbourhood and the person cannot get to the city to sell their product.

Getting out of poverty is not as simple as giving people a loan.

41

A second factor is psychological. This same literature suggests that the idea of

getting a ‘hand up’ instead of a ‘handout’ will change when a person receives a loan. I

consider a ‘hand up’ to mean, empowering someone versus a ‘hand out’ which is giving

someone something without the expectation of getting something in return. If a

community has been giving ‘hand outs’ to its poor for generations and the poor are

accustomed to being treated this way, I do not believe they will automatically change

because they received a loan. The ‘hand out’ versus ‘hand up’ idea also contributes to

changing the idea of paternalism in a community, suggesting that if microcredit could

be implemented, a community could change their ideas of needing a ‘handout’ and feel

empowered to instead ask for a ‘hand up’. But again, giving a loan is not enough to

change an attitude (UNDP, 2007).

Another misconception occurs when comparing the U.S. economy’s reliance on

small businesses for employment with the microcredit/ microenterprise idea. It is

ridiculous to compare the U.S. economy to that of a smaller developing country. Not

only that, but small businesses in the U.S. do not use microcredit, they use loans with

lower interest rates (UNDP, 2007).

Models

There is evidence of dependency in microcredit and microenterprise projects; the

case of Etta I demonstrates how it can exist in such projects. Thus it makes sense to

return to the models of Gardens-Schuck and Hargrove, which give suggestions on how

to evaluate to see if dependency exists in a microcredit or microenterprise project, and

approaches to use to avoid it or ways to solve it.

When comparing Models I and II together to show their similarities and

differences, one can see that in both Models I and II the facilitators implement and are

responsible for how the project is run. The difference is that in Model I the facilitators

42

implement the project from a top-down perspective, telling the participants how the

project will run, while in Model II the facilitators implement the project but the

participants become dependent because they have learned always to rely on the

facilitators, and maybe the facilitators did not know the women would become

dependent. In Model II the facilitators implement the project without consulting with

the participants, still making it top-down.

I believe paternalism is demonstrated through giveaways because the upper or

those who are paternalistic want to give since they do not believe the lower can find

what they need. Part of Model I reflects that dependency occurs through giveaways

therefore I believe paternalism may be evident when looking at projects that fit into

Model I.

Model II reflects dependency as a learned behaviour evident in culture or an

institution. Nandy (1997) states mental attitudes can be repeated generation after

generation (p.170). I have demonstrated that the area where I worked has not only been

historically exposed to paternalism but it is still reflected in this institution and in the

mindsets of some participants. According to Model II the participants will be dependent

if it is culturally or institutionally appropriate. Because the administration and the

Director did show signs of being paternalistic and because it is culturally appropriate for

an institution to be paternalistic in Bolivia, I think it logical for the women to believe it

was suitable to be dependent. Thus the women relied on those running the program,

believing they could do more for the women than the women themselves could do.

Model III reflects the ideal, yet possible, alternative situation of a group working

on their own, without relying on an institution to sell their products or look for

international markets. The original sewing workshop is now an association called

Women Without Limits. They rent space from Etta I and they have bought their own

43

sewing machines. I am not sure if the group and the facilitators have achieved the ideals

of Model III; however the group is selling, managing and functioning on their own.

Applicability

The main reason this issue was important for me to discuss is because of the

lessons we all learned from this experience. The administration, the women, and the

Director of Etta Projects all had to face up to how each of us had contributed to the

situation of dependency that arose. I believe that these lessons of paternalism, and

moving away from the paternalism that was present, can be used at both Etta I and II,

and I am positive that other organizations would benefit from these lessons because

paternalism does not exist only in Montero, Bolivia but in other parts as well.

Another reason I was interested in pursuing this topic is because the oppression

from the top-down effect does not come just from the north. It also comes from a

history of colonialism and paternalism; those who have more seem to think they know

more. This topic also demonstrates a disconnect between knowing one should not be

paternalistic but yet still being paternalistic because you feel like people need for you to

do something for them, even though they could do it for themselves. Sometimes people

think maybe there would be better results if they acted for others. This seems to be an

idea that captures us all unless we pay very close attention to our actions and what those

actions are saying. I believe the way to resolve this issue is to constantly re-evaluate

what our actions and attitudes are saying.

Problems with analysis

I would have rather used the models from the time when we realized there was

evidence of dependency, instead of looking back on the process and seeing how the

models would have been useful. One good thing about these models is you do not

44

necessarily have to use them in the beginning of a workshop; you can also use them

during the workshop, if you have a hunch that dependency has manifested itself.

Further Research

What activities or methods can be used so people will not focus on telling

facilitators what they want to hear?

I would like to further explore where we get our ideas of helping from, is it

culture, religion or some combination of factors?

In order to avoid situations like this in the future I would like to research

activities that help motivate participants to find their own resources.

I would also like to understand why some women understood that they would

not be in the sewing workshop forever and others did not.

What are the difficulties within an institution that interfere with recognizing the

participants as being an integral part of the project and therefore needing to

collaborate with them in all phases of a project.

At what point does someone feel the need to stop relying on another and want to

take over what is rightfully theirs? What does it take for someone to stand up

and say no more?

45

Bibliography

Bartle, Phil. "Community Empowerment." Factors of Poverty. Seattle Community Network. Retrieved Nov. 6, 2006, from <Dependency: http://www.scn.org/cmp/modules/emp-pov.htm#SDependency>.

Bhatt, Shui-Yan Tang Nitin. (2001). Delivering microfinance in developing countries: Controversies and policy perspectives." Policy Studies Journal, 29 p 9. Found through Academic Search Premier. Retrieved May-June 2007 from http://web.ebscohost.com.reference.sit.edu:2048/ehost/detail?vid=1&hid=109&sid=f6d321c2-64b1-4769-8add-1c8a9020cee7%40sessionmgr102.

Blunden, Andy. "Welfare Dependency: the Need for Historical Critique." Andy Blunden. Retrieved 01 Apr.-May 2006. from <http://www.werple.net.au/~andy/works/dependency.htm>.

Brett, John A. (2006). ‘We sacrifice and eat less’: the structural complexities of micro finance participation. Human Organization, 65, 8-19. Found through ProQuest. Retrieved May-June 2007 from http://proquest.umi.com.reference.sit.edu:2048/pqdlink?Ver=1&Exp=09-08-2012&FMT=7&DID=1014581161&RQT=309&cfc=1.

Cambodia Volunteers for Community Development. (2001). Annual Report 2001. Retrieved May-June 2007, from <http://www.digitaldividedata.com/cvcd/pages/annual_report2001.htm>.

Cambodia Volunteers for Community Development. "Sewing Out of Poverty." Retrieved June-July 2007, from <http://www.cvcd.org.kh/p_sewing.html>.

Dutt, Kuntala L., and Gopa Samanta. (2006). Constructing social capital: Self-help groups and rural women's development in India." Geographical Research Vol. 44 issue 3. 285-295. Found through EBSCO. Retrieved May-June 2007 from <http://web.ebscohost.com.reference.sit.edu:2048/ehost/pdf?vid=2&hid=105&sid=36e035ee-5399-47f1-88e1-f9dc755536ea%40sessionmgr102>

Freire, Paulo. (1970). Pedagogy of the Oppressed. New York: Herder and Herder. 39-150.

Gardens-Schuck, Nancy, and Tasha M. Hargrove. "Indicators of Dependency." ERIC. 27 Nov. 2000. American Evaluation Association. Retrieved Nov.-Dec. 2006 from <http://eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/Home.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=RecordDetails&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED450250&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=eric_accno&objectId=0900000b801360cb>.

Garren, David J. "Paternalism Part I." Philosophical Books 47 (2006): 334-341. Found through EBSCO. Retrieved August 2007, from <http://web.ebscohost.com.reference.sit.edu:2048/ehost/detail?

vid=2&hid=106&sid=a5299e8c-4859-4224-9c7e-cd624c4539b8%40sessionmgr102>.

Lucarelli, Bill. (2005). Microcredit: a Cautionary tale. Journal of Contemporary Asia Vol. 35 No. 1, 78-86.

Nandy, Ashis. (1997). The Colonization of the mind. In Majid Rahnema & Victoria Bawtree (Eds.), The Post-development reader. Halifax/ Nova Scotia: Ferwood Publisher. 169-177.

Peet, Richard and Harwick Elaine. (1999). Theories of development. New York: Guilford Press. 95-106.

Prado, Fernando Salmon, Seleme, Susana Antelo, Prado, Isabella Zanini, and Ledo, Carmen García. (2005) Santa Cruz y Su Gente. Santa Cruz: ABC Producciones Ltda. 4-25.

Roth, James. (1997). The limits of micro credit as a rural development intervention. Diss. Institute for Development Policy and Management, Manchester University. Retrieved May 2007, from <http://www.gdrc.org/icm/jimmy-roth.pdf>.

Srinivas, Hari. “So what is microcredit”. Virtual library on microcredit. 4 Feb. 1997. Microcredit Summit. Retrieved May-June 2007, from <http://www.gdrc.org/icm/what-is-ms.html>.

United Nations Department of Public Information. (2004). Microfinance and microcredit: How can $100 change an economy. New York: The UN Department of Public Information. Retrieved May-June 2007, from <http://www.yearofmicrocredit.org/docs/MicrocreditBrochure_eng.pdf>.

United Nations Development Programme. (2007). "Barbados and the OECS." Retrieved May-June 2007, from <http://www.bb.undp.org/index.php?page=microenterprise-development>.

Yin, Robert M. (2003) Case study research design and methods (3rd ed.). Washington DC: Sage Publications. 12-45.

47

Appendix A

Suggestions for Etta I and Etta II

Set up guidelines of dependency for each workshop. (For example, the

administration will answer questions such as the following: what does

dependency look like? How will we address issues of dependency as a team?

What is our stance on dependency? What are our actions telling the women?

What is our role in perpetuating the dependency? How can we compare one

woman in relation to another in order to define if a person is dependent?)

Have meetings with participants before the workshop begins on how the class

would best serve the participants. During the course of the workshop, frequently

ask participants if the workshop is meeting their needs and how it can better

meet their needs. (Include ways of asking participants individually, in a non-

written form and also through activities that are not direct.)

Know that the participants have to be ready to be independent.

Suggestion from Finance Coordinator: do not buy any materials for the women

in the workshops in the future.

Unite the class together with group building activities and field trips.

As administrators, think about the things that you have accomplished and how

you felt when you accomplished those things. Think about that in relation to the

women and how they need to feel like they accomplish things; they need the

opportunity to have accomplishments.

An association of women could export to companies and it would not create a

relationship of dependency as long as the association of women corresponded

with the company. The staff of the Etta I or the Director Etta Projects could

make the initial contacts with this company but they would then have to allow

the women to correspond with the company after the initial contact. The main

thing is that the goal of exporting needs to come from the women not from the

staff of Etta I, Etta II or Etta Projects.

You can help people by teaching them how to identify resources they have. Use

activities where they discover their resources themselves.

During the workshop ask the participant’s what their expectations of the class

are, but ask in alternative ways, not just directly. This will help you to know if

there is a relationship of dependency and will help you to understand what the

participants’ needs are.

Emphasize the importance of working in a group, as it means more access to

capital and resources.

Workshop goals should be participatory giving all stakeholders an opportunity

to express their opinion.

Based on the elements of dependency give participants a checklist to determine

themselves if they are dependent.

49

Appendix B

How do you evaluate dependency in a Micro credit Micro enterprise project?

1. Are there examples of Micro credit providing cushion when families need money?

How has the income affected my life? It has benefited me because I have received money to help my family. I have been able to have my own kiosk in the market that is what I have used the most. That money is well invested. C

What we have received from the director? Everything that we have received from there has been good for me. Because I am separated from my husband and the truth is this has helped me so much. I have been able to pay off the majority of my debts. Little by little I am getting ahead. E

I have learned and I have been able to bring home money MR

I have used the money to pay the electric bill and the money has benefited my whole family. I paid the tuition for my children. It has been beneficial for my family. MR

I put in a floor and I bought a sewing machine. In other things that I have done I may not have been able to accomplish anything but here I am ME

(The money) It has been help for me for my children because we always receive money at the end of the year and it was to give to my (she also commented that she saved the money) F

Saw the workshop as a way to improve yourself through friendship and self-esteem D

T also saw the experience as a good learning experience for sewing

Juana project was good for the self esteem the same B

I have finished my bathroom because before I did not have one. B

2. How did the women feel they were successful? (Antithesis of narrow econ objectives)

This has helped us so much like now I can speak for C When we sell at the least we feel capable to

sell and get ahead selling the products. They have given us the strength to get out. This has taught us so much in how to be better. What they have taught us is to sell and the self-esteem everything. I feel more like if we do it we have more value for all of us. We feel united and supported when we do it like I don’t know... I feel like we are sisters. C

Sometimes if someone has problems in your house, here you can forget about B

segura y porque estoy segura de cómo costurar bien D

Before I felt like my only purpose was to be in my house taking care of my children. It was like I could not value myself. I was wrong. D

They helped us so much, we learned, I don’t know . It helped me, the self esteem classes, all of it has

helped because before my husband he yelled at me and made cry and I shut up and listen but now I have learned E

My self-esteem has gotten so much better before it was so low. Before (the class) I had a lot of problems and I was sad that I could not work M.E.

What factors contribute to the development and maintenance of dependency?

3. What types of paternalistic attitudes are found in women, staff and director? (Are the women used to being taken care of and is the staff used to taking care of the women) (Paternalism is a form of control and domination, Belief lower does not have option, Belief you have to give because lower does not know how to get it)

The day that we were most afraid was the day when they said we would depend on ourselves and they said we would have to leave the program. And we knew were not going to see that kina of money and we would have to sell our products and we would have to invest our money… we thought our lives had ended C

(When the Director sold the products for the women) I thought it was a happiness because in the first place it was a help to us B

I want the Director to continue to sell our products B I prefer to depend on Etta Projects because it is a sure

thing. We send the products and even though it takes 3 months to get paid the money comes and it is 75-87 dollars that is good money for one person. E

When they told us that we would become independent, I felt sad because we were accustomed to them helping us. J

Before the small business workshop they had low self-esteem and they depended on the program because while they were dependent on the program they only worried about manual production they did not have to worry about buying the materials nor nothing. They were not really owners of their own business and it was very easy for them. PC

I think I saw the women as poor little women but not because I saw them as being alone but because I did not realize that there were steps that you could take to change this attitude. I was lacking vision and I had my own limitations for them and limitations on myself. I also had my own prejudices; I didn’t think they could do it alone. PC

They were treated paternalistically when they first started the sewing workshop. PC

I believe the director was just as confused as we were. Because she had the same attitude that we had with the women. Like they did not have opportunities and now we are creating opportunities for them. But always having to accomplish goals and pushing. That’s what the director did, the same thing forcing opportunities for herself and the women but for the love of the Project and the women. I believe it is very difficult to have a sustainable project. PC

It was charity but it was two fold because she used the women’s stories and showed pictures of the children and the women. She showed images of the families to support her organization so they feel the Christian charity PC

4. Demonstrate incidents when staff or director

o But equally the director she helped us she collaborated with us by selling the products so I still

51

acted in a paternalistic way.

believe we are a little dependent Eo (When the director started selling the

products) I thought the director’s goal was an economic incentive for the women to give them income and I thought it was a good idea … opening up local markets for the women to make more money. PC

o It was a good process the changes that the women went through. It all started with the Finance Coordinator helping the women to match the colors of the materials and it developed into when MCC came and gave the small business workshop that is what really unified the group that was really good for the women. PC

What did you think when the director first started selling the products? I believe I thought like the mothers, that it was a miracle that fell out of the sky. There were always orders but we were creating a false expectation because we did not include transport expenses because there were always people coming or going and each time the profits were a little better. You know that people only care about what they can make they don’t worry about other things FC

Where the women of the sewing class dependent on Etta I?

5. How did the women act dependent (belief they have no other option, can’t help themselves, sees they cant help themselves, and excluded from creation of project)?

The day that we had the most fear was when they said we would depend on ourselves and that one day we would leave. C

(I would like the director) to continue to sell our products B

I think I saw the women as poor little women, I didn’t realize that there were steps that one can take. I was lacking vision and I put my own limitations and prejudices on the women because I did not think they could do it alone PC

What did you think when the director first started selling the products? I believe I thought like the mothers, that it was a miracle that fell out of the sky. There were always orders but we were creating a false expectation because we did not include transport expenses because there were always people coming or going and each time the profits were a little better. You know that people only care about what they can make they don’t worry about other things FC

But equally it was worth the wait because when the money arrived the women didn’t care about the wait the amount of money was worth the wait. FC (women saw that sending to the US market was better than what they could do in Bolivia)

6. What did the women see that the admin and director did to create dependency?

I believe she wanted to help us to get ahead and that money would give us the strength to get ahead C

It really lowered our morale when the director told us she would only sell twice a year. It would be only as much as what would make in the local market. D

I understood that the class would only be for a certain time period so I did not think that the director would

52

continue to sell. I thought it would end one day but she kept taking things back to the US to sell. T

7. What are the women’s attitudes in regards to being dependent?

In the beginning we felt very supported but we thought we would be there for a long time. C

(ser dependientes) Una mejor ayuda si para nosotros B Preferiero a depender en etta porque allí una es segura

manda sus trabajos aunque cada tres meses digamos llegábamos eso platita 500-600 bs era bueno era para uno emiliana

Being dependent helped us out B

8. What were the women’s perceptions of being dependent?

Being dependent helped us out B When they said we were dependent and we had to

become independent I felt really sad because we became accustomed to the director helping us. J

It seemed like it would be a good thing (to be dependent on Etta I ) but then if you do that you cant get ahead for yourself. F

7 out of 9 believed they were dependent on the project

9. In what ways did the women act dependent?

get paid. They said this amount is for you and this amount is for you and we didn’t question it. But we didn’t complain. M.R.

But when you all kick us (graduate us) out it wont be the same B

We felt… the truth is you cant rely on anything in this B

When the MCC facilitator came we were really embarrassed that we didn’t know how much material should go into a bag nor did we know how much string you would have to invest. M.E.

real dependency on the church itself and I think that is a very huge factor and not only in that neighbourhood but in Montero in that the church is very powerful and very kind of omnipresent in this neighbourhood and in Montero in general Director of Etta Projects

the community in la Floresta has a long history with the catholic church here which created a charity for the community for la Floresta community and with that they had with the sense of charity they had really kind of created a sense of entitlement that if someone was to provide a humanitarian aid function that would totally be free and be given to them at no cost or responsibility on the other person’s part this had been such an ingrained element of how this community had been taught, raised or had been (what do I want to say) taught that charity is or humanitarian aid is free and its at no responsibility to anyone but the church itself this created huge problems for us as we began to…Director of Etta Projects

clearly understand that we were asking anything of them that everything was a gift to them that there was no responsibility on their part so it took us quite sometime to revamp the program over and over and over again

53

even the sewing workshop we had many classes on their responsibility to the project to themselves and to their own families that it was not simple charity it was an opportunity but not charity Director of Etta Projects

weren’t expanding their own products they weren’t thinking about their own ability to utilize to use their skill to increase their income they were just waiting for us to place an order so they would get their income, which showed us very quickly that they were utilizing it as a dependency job and not creating their own co-ops or businesses from, which is not what we had planned at all. Director of Etta Projects

10. In what ways did the women not act dependent?

dependent you will never get ahead for yourself. F

find our own markets and not have to wait around for the money to come in. C

other women like they will help me and I will help them. E

material to start, that was my best day. We met to put the money together and do what we wanted to do and it was so easy. M. E.

to sell. I knew we were also going to have to sell locally also. (She was not thinking they were going to depend on the Director) T

11. Do the women feel inferior to the staff and director?

They all said they felt helped by the staff. Help means:

Someone who asks for something and the other person gives that person what they need but does not ask for anything in C

Someone wants to look for a job so someone else helps them look and or someone gives them a job also helping them in another way. E

Help people that cant help themselves B

Help is helping mutually to help a person. J

get paid. They said this amount is for you and this amount is for you and we didn’t question it. But we didn’t complain. M.R.

The women had complete confidence that we would give them what they deserved. The women didn’t worry where the money came from how we got the materials they didn’t worry about anything. FC

(the women did worry about the money but they did not say very much to the admin when they did not receive or when they thought one person received more possible showing signs of feeling inferior)

54

12. Did the women think they had other resources?

Did you hope that the director would continue to sell the products in the U.S? It’s the only way we but for now we have more orders from her but not many. D

Our houses are where we find help. C

Our resource is the director selling our products B

I don’t know where there are other resources but I know there is a program like this one where they sell artesian products. D

I don’t know any other resources E

I don’t know the truth is I don’t know of any other places that provide resources here. M.E.

The church gives out help like scholarships M.R.

There are some places that give food and clothes to older people who don’t have anything. T

In Montero, there are mothers clubs and other groups that help women. J

13. Did the women believe that they could not help themselves?

When we depend on ourselves we wont make as much money. C

I prefer to depend on Etta because there it a sure thing we send our work and every three months we make 75-87 dollars and that is good money for one. E

When you all kick us out (graduate us) the group wont be the same. B

When they said we were going to be independent that was the day I felt very sad because we have become accustomed to being help. J

At first we weren’t waiting (for the director to sell the products) we didn’t know how to get ahead (to sell on our own) and (the director selling) helped us out a lot. C

14. Did the women participate in the creation of the project?

NO INFORMATION FROM THE INTERVIEWS

15. What other results occurred that are not included but important?

The women had to worry about themselves to be independent. That cost them a lot of strength but that strength was satisfaction for them because it caused a change in attitude. One can note how the seem to feel empowered it is hard to say or prove it qualitatively but you can see it in there eyes and in their stature. In their words they have self-confidence and dignity because they feel like owners of their own decisions they have to consult each other to come to a final decision and they feel capable of making their own decisions. This is a lasting change that will continue in their lives PC (the women changed when they were looking for their own markets)

55

Appendix C

First Interview with the Women of the sewing workshop

1. Why did you come to the sewing workshop the first day?2. What and how did the workshop influence your life?3. How can you explain this now?4. Have you ever worked for yourself and which do you prefer working for

someone or working for yourself?5. Which do you think benefits you more?6. In the first year why did you come back to the workshop?7. In the second year why did you continue to come to the workshop? And now?8. Can you tell me how the profits you have made have affected your life?9. How was the workshop managed in your opinion the first year and how does

that compare to now?10. How do you feel about your connections and relationships outside and inside the

group?11. What do you think has formed and stabilized the group? What has brought you

together?12. When the Director started selling your product and then you received the money

from those products what did you think was her motivation to sell your products?

13. Have you changed your mind?14. How did you feel the day the administration talked to you about how you were

dependent on the Director to sell the products?15. Based on your experience how have you felt during the process of learning how

to sell your products?16. Think about all the days in the workshop and describe to me the day you had the

most fear and your best day the day you felt the most capable?17. Did you go to the Expo Norte?18. How did you feel about selling your products there?19. If you did not go how did you feel about being represented there?20. How have you felt benefited by Etta I?

Second Interview

1. What other resources are available in the community?2. What does the word help mean to you?3. What does the word charity mean to you?

Third Interview

1. Did you expect the Director to give you help?2. Did you expect the Director to continue to give help?3. Do you think you the Director or Etta I should help you?4. How do you feel now that you are graduated?

56

5. When we said that you all were dependent on the Director to sell your products did you agree with that?

Appendix D

Questions for the Program Coordinator and the Finance Coordinator

1. Why and how was the sewing workshop started? 2. What was the goal of the sewing workshop? 3. Speaking of goals do you think that all of the stakeholders shared the same idea

for the goal? 4. What did you think when the Director started selling the women’s products? 5. Since the small business workshop with MCC, what do you think of the Director

selling the women’s products?6. Have you noticed a change in how the women were working before and how

they work now? 7. Why do you think the dependency started?8. Why do you think the administration did not know how to get the women away

from dependency? 9. What did you think the director was doing when she was saying she wanted the

women to become self-sufficient but she was selling the women’s products? 10. Did you think that the Director was using the women’s stories and that is why

she paid them more? 11. If you were in a situation, like the women and you thought this situation may or

may not end would you invest the money?

Appendix E

Questions for the Director

1. Will you set up the story for me, what was your role in the sewing workshop when it first started?

2. How did the idea come about to sell products from the sewing workshop?3. Why did you start with the aguayo products?4. How did you determine the prices for the products?5. Tell me about your motives to sell the products apart from increasing the

women’s income?6. You said that the goal for the sewing workshop was to increase the women’s

income so it would have an effect on the family’s life. But how did you communicate this goal to the administration?

7. So what difficulties did you have with the administration with the goal being accomplished?

8. Tell me about, when you first talked to the administration about the goal, about how you saw the sewing workshop happening, like how you wanted them to graduate?

9. How did you start selling the products in the states?

57

10. Did you think that the women should also sell locally?11. What did you want to accomplish with the micro credit project with MCC? 12. When the administration started telling you about the women about how the

women were dependent on handouts and how this might interfere with their process, what did you think?

13. What do you think, or what do you understand about paternalism in relation to this project?

14. Do you think that by us starting in a different way (with the next) sewing workshop that we will be able to take that out that aspect, like maybe if we didn’t give material, then they wouldn’t necessarily you know then they wouldn’t think that we were just giving?

15. What do you think will change as a result of this experience in terms of the next group of women?

16. Before you were looking into becoming a fair trade organization, what happened to that?

58