{"id":11583,"date":"2024-11-06T09:09:18","date_gmt":"2024-11-06T15:09:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin-new\/?post_type=campus_story&p=11583"},"modified":"2024-11-06T09:09:18","modified_gmt":"2024-11-06T15:09:18","slug":"uw-whitewater-ama-enactus-students-support-business-development-in-guatemala","status":"publish","type":"campus_story","link":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/story\/uw-whitewater-ama-enactus-students-support-business-development-in-guatemala\/","title":{"rendered":"UW-Whitewater AMA, Enactus students support business development in Guatemala"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Photo<\/a><\/p>\n

Already among the nation\u2019s most successful college student organizations, the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater\u2019s\u00a0American Marketing Association<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Enactus<\/a>\u00a0chapters continued to build on their legacies of entrepreneurship and service over the summer in 2024.<\/p>\n

Five Warhawks traveled to Antigua, Guatemala, from July 20-27 to continue their work with\u00a0ProChapina<\/a>, 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.<\/p>\n

Faith Jones, a native of Mokena, Illinois, who earned a B.A. in\u00a0social work<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Spanish<\/a>\u00a0in May, and Ruth Hammer, a Mauston native who graduated with a BBA in\u00a0international business<\/a>\u00a0and a B.A. in Spanish in May 2023, represented Enactus, which seeks to apply business principles to do good.<\/p>\n

The AMA chapter\u2019s social impact division members on the trip included Kylie Bilello, a\u00a0management<\/a>\u00a0major from Germantown and the chapter president, and Fionnbharr Hartnett, a\u00a0marketing<\/a>\u00a0major from Oconomowoc and the chapter photographer and videographer. The division\u2019s faculty advisor, Lauren Drury, assistant professor of marketing, was also a part of the travel party.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis was the first trip I\u2019ve gone on as a faculty member, so I was getting to see it through the students\u2019 eyes and making sure they were getting the full experience,\u201d Drury said. \u201cIt was a great connection with our business partner and connection with the culture.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"A
Left to right, UW-Whitewater student participants Ruth Hammer, Faith Jones, Kylie Bilello and Fionnbharr Hartnett stand with Julio Martinez of ProChapina, at center, at the top of Cerro de la Cruz in Antigua, Guatemala.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Jones, who is currently working toward a\u00a0Master of Social Work<\/a>\u00a0at 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.<\/p>\n

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\u2019 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce I joined Enactus, I was hooked,\u201d Jones said. \u201cTheir 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"A
Claudia Lorena Yuc Marin de Qui\u00f1onez, a member of ProChapina, makes a doll in the work room of ProChapina in Antigua, Guatemala.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

Jones and Hammer, who is currently working toward an\u00a0MBA<\/a>\u00a0at 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\u2019s trust.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt 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,\u201d Jones said. \u201cThey live in impoverished areas and are single mothers who weren\u2019t given much opportunity. Their perseverance was humbling, and their generosity to us was inspiring.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of the highlights for Jones was a volunteer opportunity to support a family involved in ProChapina by building a roof for their home.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was probably my favorite thing I did there,\u201d Jones said. \u201cIt 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis was different from many other travel experiences because it wasn\u2019t necessarily for class credit, but also not for fun,\u201d Drury said. \u201cThe students wanted to be there to help develop the organization. They weren\u2019t gaining anything in terms of formal class credit, they were just gaining the experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"A
UW-Whitewater volunteers and members of ProChapina pose for a photo at the ProChapina office in Antigua, Guatemala.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

The team is now focused on marketing the products to businesses, including hotels, boutiques and other shops, in Guatemala and the United States. They\u2019ve connected with the university and businesses in Whitewater to gauge interest in selling the ProChapina products.<\/p>\n

Jones, who has worked with Hammer to help translate the women\u2019s stories and testimonials, said the team is likely to stay involved with ProChapina into 2026.<\/p>\n

Follow along with ProChapina\u2019s progress on the company\u2019s\u00a0Instagram page<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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The Guatemalan Handmade Worry Doll<\/h2>\n
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\"A<\/p>\n

UW-Whitewater Enactus, AMA and ProChapina have teamed up to product launch the Guatemalan Handmade Worry Doll, a charming keepsake and a symbol of hope and empowerment. Each doll is intricately made from handwoven fabric and thread, embodying the rich culture of the region.<\/p>\n

Pictured: A Guatemalan Handmade Worry Doll at Hyland Hall.<\/p>\n

In 2020, Jodie Parys, professor of world languages and cultures, and Choton Basu, Enactus advisor and professor of information technology and supply chain management, partnered with students in their classes to successfully raise $2,500 and thousands of donations that were sent to Guatemala to start entrepreneurial classes for single women, most of whom were native to the country.<\/p>\n

In the years following, Enactus and AMA have worked with ProChapina to build a website, marketing materials and a sustainable business plan for the nonprofit organization, which supports women entrepreneurs in Guatemala.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is an example of a high-impact practice that\u2019s incorporated into so many of our courses and programs,\u201d Parys said. \u201cOur students have a true impact on society as they work toward their degrees. The impact we have in the classroom is truly borderless.\u201d<\/p>\n

Owners of the worry dolls are encouraged to hold them and think about what worries you before placing them under your pillow before going to bed. If you do that successfully, your worries will disappear.<\/p>\n

All proceeds will benefit the organization to support the women in product development, education, and training.<\/p>\n

To purchase a doll, contact UW-Whitewater\u2019s AMA chapter at\u00a0ama@uww.edu<\/a>\u00a0or Enactus chapter at\u00a0enactus@uww.edu<\/a>. Join the\u00a0ProChapina mailing list<\/a>\u00a0for the latest updates.<\/p>\n

Direct donations to the organization can also be made by visiting\u00a0prochapina.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Written by Chris Lindeke | Photos courtesy of Fionnbharr Hartnett and submitted<\/p>\n

Link to original story: https:\/\/www.uww.edu\/news\/archive\/2024-10-ama-enactus-guatemala<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Already among the nation\u2019s most successful college student organizations, the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater\u2019s\u00a0American Marketing Association\u00a0and\u00a0Enactus\u00a0chapters 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\u00a0ProChapina, a nonprofit organization that serves to support, educate, uplift, and empower […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":11612,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","institution":[84],"story_category":[],"class_list":["post-11583","campus_story","type-campus_story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","institution-uw-whitewater"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/campus_story\/11583","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/campus_story"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/campus_story"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11583"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11612"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11583"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"institution","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/institution?post=11583"},{"taxonomy":"story_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story_category?post=11583"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}