Opportunities for My Community is a project by USAID and the Inter-American Dialogue that links remittances with economic development in Guatemala. The project presents a strategy that promotes savings formalization and investment in education as tools to build human and economic capital.
Project activities focus on the Western Highlands and Guatemala City, working in partnership with local financial institutions, schools and non-governmental organizations to improve levels of economic growth and social development, and providing the necessary resources and tools to strengthen Guatemalan “knowledge capital” through three strategic areas: financing, innovation and education.
Remittances and development are linked through four components:
Financial education for remittance recipients in order to improve their knowledge of savings and budgeting, and to promote formal savings.
Access to credit and technical assistance for entrepreneurs, particularly those in the knowledge economy.
Engagement of diaspora groups and remittance companies in order to mobilize resources to fund educational initiatives in Guatemala.
Extracurricular programs for youth in areas of high emigration.
The ultimate objective is to have a critical mass of people formally saving, investing in education, and contributing to Guatemala’s human capital and economic development as it transitions to a more knowledge-based economy.
Oportunidades para mi Comunidad es un proyecto de USAID y el Diálogo Interamericano que vincula las remesas con el desarrollo económico. El proyecto presenta una estrategia que promueve la formalización del ahorro y la inversión en educación como herramientas para construir capital humano y económico.
Las actividades del proyecto se enfocan en el Altiplano Occidental y la Ciudad de Guatemala, trabajando de la mano con instituciones financieras locales, centros educativos y organizaciones no gubernamentales para mejorar los niveles de crecimiento económico y desarrollo social, proporcionando los recursos y herramientas necesarias que fortalecen el “capital del conocimiento” guatemalteco por medio de tres áreas estratégicas: financiamiento, innovación y educación.
Las remesas y el desarrollo son vinculadas mediante cuatro componentes:
Educación financiera para receptores de remesas con el fin de mejorar su conocimiento sobre ahorros y presupuesto, y promover el ahorro formal.
Acceso a crédito y asistencia técnica para empresarios, poniendo énfasis en aquellos en la economía de conocimiento.
Alianzas con la diáspora y compañías de remesas para canalizar recursos hacia iniciativas educativas en Guatemala.
Programas de educación extracurricular para jóvenes en zonas de alta emigración.
El objetivo es tener una masa crítica de personas ahorrando, invirtiendo en educación y contribuyendo en la transición de Guatemala hacia una economía basada en el conocimiento.
This is a story of success of the Opportunities for My Community Project, which links remittances, education and savings to promote economic and human development in Guatemala. Financial inclusion is key for promoting economic development in Guatemala. Simply stated, the more people that are empowered to use financial products and services,[1]…
This is a story of success of the Opportunities for My Community Project, which links remittances, education and savings to promote economic and human development in Guatemala. Education plays a fundamental role in human capital, helping to develop the productive skills and abilities that create economic value for individuals and societies.…
This is a story of success of the Opportunities for My Community Project, which links remittances, education and savings to promote economic and human development in Guatemala. The Opportunities for My Community project promotes development in Guatemala by linking remittances with development, formalizing savings and investing in education in order to…
DISCLAIMER: The project Opportunities for My Community is made possible by the generous support of the American People through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID.) The contents of this website are the sole responsibility of the Inter-American Dialogue and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.