This plastic was collected from the homes and businesses of savings group members over the course of a two week class at the Las Lomas ranch.
Martha Drew, Philanthopiece’s Regional Coordinator for our Community Bank Program in BCS, Mexico, continues her blog series, “Seeds of Savings,” on the impact that savings group are having in the region. This post is translated from Spanish, for the original version please page down.
As a member of a community bank and a concerned environmentalist, I assigned myself the job of inviting savings group members to recycle. The activity is simple. Every week as part of our regular Community Bank meetings, all the members get together to contribute to our savings. At these gatherings, the members will also bring all the plastics that they would normally throw away in their homes, for example, milk gallons, juice containers, shampoo bottles, etc., and put them with the others to be recycled. Once a month, we will sell the plastics we’ve collected to a local recycling plant, so this becomes an income generating activity for us.
My goal, as a member and trainer in the banks, is to create an awareness about how we can save not just with money, but recycling. This will lead bank members to be more conscious of what they are buying and how to reduce their consumption in the future. I hope the participating members are able to connect the idea back to the Community Banks and that it helps them learn a little more about recycling.
It would be wonderful it other savings groups could pick up this idea and together, “piece together a better world”!
Original Spanish Version
Como socia de un banco comunitario y preocupada por la protección del ambiente me dí a la tarea de invitar a los socios del banquito a reciclar. Esta actividad es muy sencilla pues consiste en que cada semana que nos reunimos para ahorrar los socios traen consigo los plásticos que se desechan en sus casas es decir el galón de la leche, el jugo, refresco, suavitel, shampoo, etc. La idea es vender los plásticos que hayamos recolectado durante un mes y venderlos para ver el ingreso y la ganancia.
Los objetivos que como socia y entrenadora persigo son crear conciencia que podemos ahorrar a través del reciclaje, aprender sobre el tema, hacer una Actividad para Generar Ingresos en conjunto, lograr que los socios hagan conciencia de los productos que compran y reducir su consumo en el futuro.
La esperanza es llevar a los otros grupos de ahorro esta idea en base a los éxitos obtenidos y lograr en conjunto “Pedazo a pedazo un mundo mejor”.
Martha Drew has served as both our Regional Coordinator in Baja, and as a member of the Las Lomas Community Bank since January 2014. Facilitating and participating in the program simultaneously gives Martha a unique perspective on community development.