Enactus students support business development in Guatemala

October 14, 2024

Already among the nation’s most successful college student organizations, the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater’s American Marketing Association and Enactus chapters continued to build on their legacies of entrepreneurship and service over the summer in 2024.

Five Warhawks traveled to Antigua, Guatemala, from July 20-27 to continue their work with ProChapina, a nonprofit organization that serves to support, educate, uplift, and empower Guatemalan women through professional training education programs and other services, including health care, transportation, home improvements, and assistance with living expenses.

Faith Jones, a native of Mokena, Illinois, who earned a B.A. in social work and Spanish in May, and Ruth Hammer, a Mauston native who graduated with a BBA in international business and a B.A. in Spanish in May 2023, represented Enactus, which seeks to apply business principles to do good.

The AMA chapter’s social impact division members on the trip included Kylie Bilello, a management major from Germantown and the chapter president, and Fionnbharr Hartnett, a marketing major from Oconomowoc and the chapter photographer and videographer. The division’s faculty advisor, Lauren Drury, assistant professor of marketing, was also a part of the travel party.

“This was the first trip I’ve gone on as a faculty member, so I was getting to see it through the students’ eyes and making sure they were getting the full experience,” Drury said. “It was a great connection with our business partner and connection with the culture.”

UW-Whitewater has worked with ProChapina for the last year, and the relationship will continue into 2025. Enactus is focused on building a sustainable business plan for ProChapina, while AMA looks to market and fundraise for the organization.

Women supported by ProChapina pick an area of interest and try to make income by producing goods and services, including cosmetology, confections, and sewing. There is currently a waitlist to get into the program.

UW-Whitewater students will look to jumpstart product production and workshops and, ultimately, generate sales for the products to put revenue back into the project. Enactus is focused on the business model, while AMA is focused on marketing and sales, including website and social media content.

Jones, who is currently working toward a Master of Social Work at UW-Whitewater, was introduced to the opportunity by Jodie Parys, professor of world languages and cultures who Jones had traveled abroad with in the past.

Parys, who started the relationship with ProChapina five years ago, thought Jones would be a good fit for the project developing in Guatemala because of Jones’ social work background and areas of interest. Despite her lack of business experience, Jones joined Enactus with Hammer, who is also fluent in Spanish, and the two are now managing the project.

“Once I joined Enactus, I was hooked,” Jones said. “Their mission is to help people and create sustainable businesses while addressing social issues. All I wanted to do was help people, so it was cool to see how business could connect to that.”

Jones and Hammer, who is currently working toward an MBA at UW-Whitewater, wanted to meet their clients face to face and discuss product development and sales, and how to make the business sustainable after Enactus and AMA involvement concluded. They wanted to familiarize themselves with their client and gain the client’s trust.

The seven-day trip to Guatemala, which was supported by AMA with help from Enactus, included meetings and showcases at ProChapina, visits to potential areas for fundraising and marketing, tours of villages and markets of interest, and other cultural immersion opportunities.

“It was great to meet the women who we learned so much about and hear their stories to make a personal connection to the people we were helping,” Jones said. “They live in impoverished areas and are single mothers who weren’t given much opportunity. Their perseverance was humbling, and their generosity to us was inspiring.”

One of the highlights for Jones was a volunteer opportunity to support a family involved in ProChapina by building a roof for their home.

“That was probably my favorite thing I did there,” Jones said. “It allowed Ruth and I to interact with the mother, get our hands dirty and help. It was their rain season, so that was awesome to help in that way.”

Drury also enjoyed the hands-on learning experiences, including making tortillas in a traditional Mayan village and climbing Volcano Pacaya, a 23,000-year-old volcano with an elevation above 8,000 feet.

“This was different from many other travel experiences because it wasn’t necessarily for class credit, but also not for fun,” Drury said. “The students wanted to be there to help develop the organization. They weren’t gaining anything in terms of formal class credit, they were just gaining the experience.”

The team is now focused on marketing the products to businesses, including hotels, boutiques and other shops, in Guatemala and the United States. They’ve connected with the university and businesses in Whitewater to gauge interest in selling the ProChapina products.

Jones, who has worked with Hammer to help translate the women’s stories and testimonials, said the team is likely to stay involved with ProChapina into 2026.

Follow along with ProChapina’s progress on the company’s Instagram page.