Microfinance Internships in Paraguay

Interview with Alicia Woo, Internship Coordinator at Fundación Paraguaya

GO: What are the core values of Fundación Paraguaya?

Alicia: Fundación Paraguaya seeks to eliminate poverty. How? By developing solutions to poverty and unemployment and disseminating them throughout the world. Fundación Paraguaya doesn’t give or donate material goods, it teaches self-sustainability and entrepreneurship. Our Microfinance Program offers ways of earning or increasing income and it allows this opportunity by granting micro-credits and helping clients with ongoing training and new ideas of possible and tangible commerce. Our agricultural schools offer students the opportunity to learn not solely by theory, but also by practice. Students learn about agriculture, stockbreeding, hotel management, commerce and marketing in order to to produce and sell their own products. We offer a Junior Achievement Program which helps inculcate entrepreneurship values in the younger generation.

GO: How do interns fit into the fabric of your organization?

Alicia: Poverty is not simply one aspect of a social-economical system, rather, it consists of very wide ramifications in areas and sub-areas which results in poverty. Interns are always welcome to offer their help in any aspect, and in any program. They help us see and think outside the box and provide technical and practical information, and updates about a variety of subjects that can help ameliorate our existing projects, and help create others in order to test new technologies and research.

GO: What skills will interns acquire that will make this internship a stepping stone into their career?

Alicia: Fundación Paraguaya is a cutting edge social enterprise with a track record in social innovation, which is demonstrated by our International Internship Program. Our interns learn first hand about issues surrounding poverty, they observe and experience the hard work and innovative thought that clients and students are performing to rise up out of the poverty line. Being part of this organization, the interns will gain experience and expertise in development and social innovation. Many of our past interns are now working in successful social development organizations like Teach a Man to Fish, Making Cents, Mix Market, etc. This Internship offers a great opportunity to learn about responsibility, commitment, adaptability, social interaction, and pro-activity, which are immensely important in every modern organization. Specially, by being pro-active, one learns how to always be one step ahead in everything.