Pro Mujer Takes Symbolic First Step by Inaugurating New Office in Lima, Peru

By Joshua Cramer-Montes, Director of Communications

On Tuesday, August 21^st, Pro Mujer in Peru (PMP) inaugurated its newest administrative office in the Peruvian capital of Lima. Located in the neighborhood of Monterrico in this bustling metropolis of 9 million people, the opening represents a significant first step toward expanding our reach to the center and north of the country. This expansion is also aligned with our 2012-2014 strategic plan, which will see us streamline our services across the country (particularly health), and double the number of strong and hardworking women we serve from 60,000 to 120,000.

Our current operations in Peru are represented in red while the blue signifies the regions into  which we will be expanding between 2012-2014.

Pro Mujer began operations in Peru in 1999 and established its headquarters in Puno, a city of 100,000 located in an impoverished region in the southeast corner of the country. The scenery is breathtaking; Puno is cradled between the shores of Lake Titicaca and the surrounding mountains in what is known as the folkloric capital of Peru. Today, Pro Mujer provides vital financial, training and primary healthcare services in seven regions across the country.

The city of Puno, nestled between Lake Titicaca the mountains surrounding the city.  

The new office will allow the national team to take advantage of its strategic location as the transportation, economic and media center of the country. In announcing the opening, Naldi Delgado, PMP’s General Manager said, “The Lima office will allow us to focus on consolidating our strategic growth and ensure better communication with key contacts such as investors, donors and journalists who reside in Lima. Our presence in the capital will better position us as an established institution with national and international ties.”

PMP celebrated the opening by inviting local and international partners and supporters to a special photo exhibition highlighting its 12-years of operation as well as a tour of the new facilities.

Pro Mujer supporters mingle and take in images from PMP’s 12 year trajectory.

The colors of the Peruvian flag frame the view of Monterrico in Lima.

Guests were also treated to a special screening of 22-year old Pro Mujer client Adela Charca Vilca‘s transformational story.

Adela Charca Vilca (L) and her mother Carmen, a Pro Mujer client since 2000.

Adela lives with her family on a small island on Lake Titicaca made of totora reeds. A small loan of $75 transformed her life as well as the lives of her children and family members. To watch Adela tell her inspirational story, click here,

Following the screening, Naldi Delgado said, “The lives of our clients form a beautiful tapestry of diverse stories. The common thread throughout is their development, not just for themselves, but for the hundreds of Pro Mujer employees, who know that our greatest strength is that we are the option for a multidimensional approach to development that also respects the traditions and diversity of the women of Peru. At Pro Mujer, not only do we carry out a job, we are committed to providing women with greater opportunities, helping them become more empowered, contributing to their inclusion and reducing poverty in Peru.”

Some of the evening’s distinguished guests from L to R:  Pro Mujer’s Co-Founders Carmen Velasco and Lynne Patterson; Board member Mayu Hume; Rosario Perez, President and CEO; and Naldi Delgado, Country Manager (Peru)

It was a particularly poignant evening considering our Co-Founders, Lynne Patterson and Carmen Velasco, were on hand to experience such a symbolic event. They founded Pro Mujer with little more than a shared vision. Twenty-two years later, that vision – a world where women in Latin America have opportunities to build better, more dignified lives for themselves and their families in the face of poverty – is shared by more than 1,800 employees and thousands of supporters from around the world. The result is a positive impact on more than 1 million women and their 6.4 million children and family members.

As the famous American cultural anthropologist Margaret Mead once said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”