SUCCESS BLOG

Turning Weaknesses into Success Through the MBS

Brazil. “My name is Bianca Rodrigues, I live in Goiânia GO Brazil, I have a degree in Pedagogy with specialization in Psychopedagogy and I am currently attending a graduate school in Social Psychology and Anthropology at Faculdade Metropolitana de Ribeirão Preto. I have been through five pregnancies, but unfortunately, due to cytomegalovirus problems, medical errors, and spontaneous abortion, I lost four babies, a boy and three girls. I lived many moments of loneliness, hopelessness, physical and emotional pain, and also helplessness. At that time, my son was held back in school, and also lived several moments of sadness, depression and hopelessness. I am currently married, but have been through two divorces that left my son and I financially helpless.

I am now 50 years old and have always tried to subsidize my financial life through my work, but I have failed. My only son, who has managed to survive these difficulties, is now 33 years old. Because of my inability to support myself and also my son, I have caused him an insecurity that keeps him away from me and makes him believe that I am not capable of providing for us. He currently lives with my mother and trusts her a lot. But this causes me great suffering, a huge feeling of failure and impotence. No matter how much I have looked for new opportunities in the job market, I have failed time after time, which causes me more suffering and feelings of disapproval as a woman, mother and human being capable of maintaining her own life, financially speaking.

I have already invested in courses, lectures, conferences, and many books trying to be well with myself and to be successful in my profession as a pedagogist, but everything has been a failure on a financial level. I went through many necessities, restrictions, and suffered deeply hearing my son say he was hungry and I didn’t have a single penny to give him at that moment. There were many hopeless years and I felt very angry at myself, at life, at God, and at my parents for being better than me at financially supporting my son.During this time I was working in a private school, but my income was not enough to provide for both of us, not even to maintain the basics.All this caused me a lot of pain and an overwhelming feeling of helplessness, and these traumatic moments of loss have also contributed to my emotional and financial imbalance. I know what it is like to feel my stomach burning with hunger, seeing various establishments around me selling food when I couldn’t feed myself because I did not have enough money for it.During this journey I met Cynthya Freitas who became a great friend. A while ago, in a time of great need, she offered me material help, and recently, she introduced me to Interweave Solutions’ MBS course.

Self-reliance is all that I have ever sought for my life and for my family, and it was with great satisfaction that I finished the first phase of the MBS course. I feel that I am starting a new phase of success in my life, because I intend to put into practice everything I have learned in each unit of the course. I intend to organize myself financially, save every day “even if it’s just one or two coins”, improve my quality of life, take notes, plan, and above all, seek support in self-reliance groups as well as the support of the Interweave Solutions team. I feel that the next steps will come with the hope that from this moment on I will be able to achieve self-reliance and will also be able to teach several people how to achieve it for themselves. I will make my failure my success, and maybe that of many people as well. I have a great interest in working with groups and I want to start the Success Ambassador training as soon as possible. I want to show this path of success to other people as soon as the pandemic allows. After all, everyone deserves to succeed, everyone has skills and talents that need to be developed. This is my goal as Success Ambassador for Interweave Solutions.”

Meet Carlos

Peru. Carlos is one of our Success Ambassadors from Peru. He has grown a lot since finishing both the MBS and the Success Ambassador courses. Here is how the MBS course helped him create his own business.

Charbel’s First Graduation

Benin. Charbel is one of our Success Ambassador Mentors from Benin. He received his Master of Business in the Streets (MBS) certificate in 2020, and 3 months after becoming a Success Ambassador he started his own MBS group. After 3 months of hard work, each of his participants received their own MBS certificate and were able to have a graduation ceremony on January 16th, 2021. We are beyond excited for Charbel and each of his 20 MBS graduates!

A Path to Success, Autonomy, and Stability

Democratic Republic of Congo. John is the owner of a company in the Democratic Republic of Congo. He works in the commercial industry selling vehicles, clothing, and providing event services. He is a Success Ambassador that wants to encourage everyone to take the MBS course.

Through the MBS course he found a way to improve his business that has brought him great success. His company did not keep Income and Expense Logs, which is used to keep track of money earned and spent. Whenever he had a family emergency, for example, he would take money from his company since he didn’t have a salary. Because of this, he never saw much improvement with his business. It wasn’t until he took the MBS course that he realized the importance of keeping track of his income and expenses and of separating his money from the company’s money. John saw a complete change in his business since implementing this principle, and the turnover increased remarkably in just one month.

Talent, Determination, and the MBS Course

Brazil. Emanoele Santos is a 18 years old high school student who lives in the city of Padre Bernardo, Brazil. Even being so young, she is already running after her dream; to be a hairdresser and have her own beauty parlor. Emanoele took the MBS course and as a result she is now more confident and knows how to better manage and organize her business. Also, she has improved many areas of her personal life by applying the principles of the Quality of Life Wheel, which she learned in the MBS course. We believe in Emanoele’s talent and determination and this is her success story written by her.

Dreams Come True With the MBS Course

Brazil. Joana has a clothing store in the city of Padre Bernardo, Brazil. She has always fought for her goals and always wanted to grow in business. She came to find the MBS course through the Success Ambassador, Josinaldo Oliveira. Through the principles taught in the course Joana learned that she needs to control and organize her business in order to make it successful. Read her success story!

Applying the Principles Taught in the MBS Course

Ivory Coast. “My name is Serge Kassi. I am a young 30-year-old Ivorian who aspires to become an entrepreneur and business leader. I discovered the MBS course while looking through my Facebook page. The ad caught my attention and I immediately signed up for the course to start the training. I must say that I didn’t always have the time to do it but I was able to progress and go through all the units of the course. I came out of this training equipped to set up my businesses, to have a better quality of life/home and determined to get involved in my community.

Fulfilling Dreams Through the MBS course

Ecuador. Kathy Trujilo is a Chemical Engineer from Quito, Ecuador. The idea of creating her own business came after having a job as the Head of Automotive Glass Quality Control, where she was able to accomplish great goals. After being let go by the company, she looked for a new job for almost a year without any luck. At the same time, her husband was also struggling to find a job. After pondering about what they could do, Kathy and her husband decided to create their own businesses where they would be able to put all of their knowledge and skills. However, they did not know what they would do.

Another Success Story From Brazil

Brazil. Isaías Santos works with perfume sales in Forquilha in Ceará, Brazil. He decided to take the MBS course to improve his sales and to learn how to better manage his business. Today he feels confident with his current business, he is growing in several areas of his life, and intends to participate more in his community. We are convinced that Isaías will soon become a Success Ambassador. Here is his testimony:

Maria Elizabeth Duarte de Guevara

Guatemala. Maria is from a small village in Guatemala. A few years ago she participated in a workshop where she learned how to make cleaning products such as soap, lotions, and many other products. She would make the products in the morning and then in the afternoons she would volunteer in a soup kitchen in her community. However, after a while she realized that there was a lot of competition in the cleaning products industry so she started volunteering in a nearby village to help women learn how to cook. It was through this volunteer experience that she realized that there was a need for a product: a non-stick spray for tortilla pans.

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My Story

Democratic Republic of Congo. “I discovered a program that has had a great influence on my business, my home and the way I serve my community.”

My name is TANDIA BAKAL MUNTU JUNIOR, my father and mother passed away when I was very young. I stayed with a foster family, a poor family. Finding enough to meet daily needs was a challenge and it was from there that I decided to enter the informal economy to provide for my own needs with very little capital that was given to me from a friend out of compassion towards my situation.

After my professional nursing studies, finding a job was very difficult and I didn’t have the time or money to go to a university.

I had a small store, sold ice cream, and I was also a barber. I had a lot of customers but for some reason I wasn’t making any progress with my small business, which got me asking myself a lot of questions.

“why isn’t my business progressing?” This created a feeling of discouragement and anxiety, but I was still fighting to get out of this poverty. This question of concern to me remained unanswered for several years. But it seems to me that no matter how long the night, the day always appears; it is in 2015 that I became aware of a program that was going to answer my question and totally change my life “The Self-reliance Program from Interweave Solutions”

When I was introduced to this program, I immediately wanted to get involved and learn how to improve my business. A few months later I received my MBS certification.

During the course, my mind was enlightened and I realized that I lacked the knowledge and application of the principles necessary to move forward. I immediately decided to apply all the principles I had learned during the course by developing and implementing a business plan based on 6Ps, a quality of life plan and a community plan to become more self-reliant.

Thanks to this Interweave self-reliance program, I have found the principles I lacked to organize and advance my business, my life, and serve my community, and this makes me happy. My income and personal savings have increased and I have improved my quality of life and am serving my community.

Today, I am the owner of a commercial establishment, I have the legal documents for my establishment and I am proud to carry out my commercial activities.

The changes that have taken place in me as a result of this program have created a great desire in me to become a Successful Ambassador. I am convinced that I can extend this positive influence to many people.

Actively participating in this great mission of interweave solutions, that of moving people from poverty to prosperity through neighborhood self-reliance groups is today one of my deepest aspirations; that is to say that I am committed to helping individuals implement business, home and community plans to become self-reliant and receive their MBS certificate; thus helping them develop their businesses and improve their homes and communities.

And helping others is also a great way for me to make money at the same time by developing a profitable MBS business.

Meet the First MBS Graduate in Brazil

Brazil. After months of trying to penetrate Brazil, we finally have our first graduate in Brazil! His name is Josinaldo Oliveira.

Josinaldo is a pastor from a small town in Brazil, Padre Bernardo. He also owns and operates a small groceries store that has been struggling for quite some time. He saw our ad on facebook, and immediately recognized an opportunity to better his business. He decided to take our MBS program online and started learning ways to not only improve his business but to also improve his community and home life. Because of the MBS program, Josinaldo is more confident and organized in his business, and is already seeing a lot of improvements.

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Sterly Online Graduation

Haiti. Sterly is a young ambassador in Haiti who recently became a Success Ambassador, but his youth hasn’t stopped him from achieving greatness.

Covid-19 has negatively affected a lot of people, but Sterly has completed the training of two groups during this pandemic and we recently had the pleasure of attending the most organized and most effective online graduation we had ever seen. Sterly handled the meeting professionally. He played the national anthem, invited key speakers, and motivated his students. He conducted the ceremony in English and French.

Saving jobs and saving lives

Mexico. Maria Garcia started her work as a stylist when she 27 years old. She continued her work for over 22 years, when suddenly she was left without a job, unemployed. She couldn’t believe what had happened.

The cause of her unemployment? The coronavirus. Maria says that her way of thinking and even living changed drastically during this time of unemployment.

A Victory for Victor

Honduras. Victor Vega is 30 years old, lives in Honduras, and has a successful business that he runs with is wife. But that wasn’t always the case.

A few years ago he and his wife started their small baking business. Unfortunately, he had to work another job in order to make sufficient money for the family. The income from the baking business just didn’t make ends meet. His new job didn’t fulfill his expectations, but it gave them enough to survive. Victor wanted to help his wife with their shared business, so he would work nights making cakes and breads after working his other day job. They spent three years following this schedule.

An unexpected miracle

Kenya. John Lutomia from Kenya prayed for 3 months to find a way to help his community before he found a Facebook ad promoting the Interweave Master of Business in the Streets program. He signed up for the course and fell in love with the curriculum. Wanting to do more, he continued his training to become a Success Ambassador (a facilitator or teacher of the MBS course to people in his local area). The Success Ambassador course requires that you facilitate and graduate a pilot group as a part of your training.

Masters in Mali

Mali. Co-founder of Interweave Solutions, Lynn Curtis, recently had the privilege of traveling to the great country of Mali. Upon his return, he had so many wonderful stories to share about the wonderful people he met and the experiences he was able to share with them. There were over 5 villages represented during the course trainings, reliance groups were started, a women’s association developed, and over 20 participants graduated from the MBS program.

Live Better

Haiti. “My name is Emmanuel Paul. I am from a rural region of Haiti. I completed my studies in Food Science and Technology in 2016. I co-founded a corporation in 2016 that works with farmers and rural women on agro-entrepreneurship and agro-processing to create added value on farms in northern Haiti. I discovered a Facebook posting describing the “Master in the Street” course in October 2019, and I quickly grasped the opportunity.

Mercy Rules

Nigeria. “My name is Mercy. I am Nigerian, a mother of four and a business owner. I was introduced to Interweave Solutions by a Success Ambassador Mr. Yusuf. Prior to the time I was very sad on how I spend so much without being able to account for it. My business was not flourishing and
had to close down business because it was not providing as much as I wanted. I was thinking on how to make my business work, be able to spend wisely and save money for the things I wanted to do. I found myself needing professional help. It was at this point that Mr Yusuf told me about Interweave Solutions. I visited the website and jumped at it.

Alphabetized

Mexico. “In one of our literacy self-reliance groups in Chiapas, Mexico, there lives a woman named Maria. She is sixty years old but eagerly started attending the group because it has been her dream to learn how to read and write. Even though she just started attending the group only a few weeks ago, she now knows how to write her name, the vowels, and is diligently learning the rest of the letters in the alphabet. She says that finally learning to read and write has brought her more joy than she knew was possible.”

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Manicures and Massages

Colombia. Shortly after our conference in Ecuador last spring, Nelson Triana landed a contract with his local government, authorizing him to teach the MBS course in schools as part of their business curriculum. After presenting the program and modeling the teaching style, he was offered positions in 3 different schools, teaching 5 different courses. This work has been so successful and kept him so busy that he’s had to turn down other schools that want the MBS materials taught in their business departments.

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A Changed Woman

Nigeria. Peace struggled to find a job in her local area for a long time. She finally decided to start a business as a hairdresser, but when her shop started to fail financially, and she became depressed. Peace was incredibly discouraged at the life she had been handed. But one day, her dear friend invited her to take the Master of Business in the Streets self-reliance course. Within weeks, Peace was able to learn principles to apply to her hair salon to improve the state of her business. At the end of the course a few months later, Peace was empowered with knowledge and was able to make her salon self-sustaining. Because of her great success in her salon, she decided to start a second business doing laundry, which she saw as a need in her community.

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“They all are so happy”

Lome, Togo. After receiving his Success Ambassador certification only a few months ago, Azedzi Ganyo worked hard to gather his friends and colleagues, tell them how the MBS program had impacted his life, and invite them to have a similar experience by joining his new MBS group. Some people came, and some even brought their friends, until Azedzi found himself with a group of 15 dedicated learners, who have since completed the MBS program and improved their quality of life.

Azedzi said the program had a good impact in the life of each participant, but most notably he shared a few specific experiences that were highlighted in the graduation ceremony last week.

One of his participants had been working as the manager of a relative’s business, but found it difficult to have the time and resources to take care of his own family. As he learned about the Quality of Life wheel, he realized that all aspects of his life were interrelated and that he had the power to control all of them. So he shared the things he was learning with his wife and they started building a new plan. They opened a business selling eggs and have concrete plans to turn it into a bigger poultry farm, which will allow the time and income to be successful in business, home and community.

Another man said that he had taken entrepreneurship courses before, but had never heard anything so simple and practical as the 6Ps of business that the MBS course taught. He also shared his findings with his wife and together, they started keeping records and have plans to start up a new business.

Watching and helping so many people improve their businesses, their families and their communities is inspiring. Azedzi said, “As a Success Ambassador, I get a great feeling; I do not know how to express it. My emotion was so high when they bear these testimonies. I have been able to change those persons lives through the MBS program; we were with them always, made follow-up, and helped them in their challenges. I think I will do more with others.”

He and his partners are pleased with the success they have seen, but they are not satisfied. They continue working to help these people maintain the self-reliance they have found. “At the end, I see that they became all very responsible. They wanted to do something better. For that reason, we are about to sign some partnership with some Microfinance Institution so that it can sponsor them for the realization of their projects.”

At Interweave, our mission is to strengthen the businesses, homes and communities of those who take our courses, improving the overall quality of life, and we seek to make positive changes permanent. This group in Togo exemplifies these values and we are so excited to continue watching them grow.

Caribbean Connections

Haiti. Like many Ambassadors, when Jean Godenson came in contact with Interweave Solutions, he had no idea how it would impact his life. He was working in North Sudan and traveling back to Haiti every few months to visit his wife and young son. As he searched for work opportunities for an educated Haitian, he came across Interweave at a freelancing job site, looking for help translating some materials into French Creole. As he worked on translating the materials, Jean realized there might be more for him and the people in Haiti. He said “We did the work and I loved the materials and asked how I could get involved. Here I am today as the first Interweave Success Ambassador in Haiti. What a beautiful and exciting journey!”

Partnership in Peru

Utah. The old saying goes, “Many hands make light work”, and our partnership with Eagle Condor has helped us in this since we began working with them back in 2012.

Eagle Condor is an NGO that aims to eradicate poverty in South America. Using four Pillars of Self-Reliance– Education, Health, Infrastructure, and Career Development– they help people gain and retain the abilities to support themselves, their families, and their communities.

2019 Ambassador Conference – Africa

Benin. After many hours of planning and preparation, we were finally blessed to gather as an Interweave family in the beautiful nation of Benin, to receive training and strengthen relationships between Success Ambassadors from all over Africa. We had representation from Benin, Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso and Liberia, for a total of 45 Ambassadors plus members of the Interweave Board and Donors from the United States.

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The key is being unique

Colombia. Success Ambassador Darío Sanchez noticed an opportunity when he heard about the “Cedezos” program sponsored by the city government. This program supports the development of business and entrepreneurship in local areas by setting up training centers in each community in the city. Darío knew this would be a perfect place to implement the MBS program, so he presented the idea to the Cedezo in his neighborhood and explained to them the difference between Interweave’s training and other programs they might have tried in the past.

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Making a difference outside of business

Togo. There are over 360,000 orphans in Togo, due to many health and economic conditions. One MBS group in Togo recognized the need of these children and decided to build their community service project around them. They arrived at the orphanage and assisted in cleaning and organizing the home, as well as provided food and supplies to the children.

Investing in the Future

Honduras. Ambassador Jonathan Rodriguez led his youth group in a community service project, cleaning and cultivating a municipal nursery in his community. Many students participated and shared their thoughts about the project as well as the MBS program. One of the students commented that through community service, students and future professionals like them reflect a positive image to society. “Community service is very important, it’s good for people.” He explained how much he had learned through his MBS studies, especially about the Quality of Life Plan and the importance of saving regularly, which he had never considered before.

Alcoholic or Entrepreneur?

Quito, Ecuador. Don Luis cleans and shines shoes on the street, making between 7-8 dollars a day. For many years, he has used a good portion of this money to satisfy his alcohol addiction. However, as he recently began taking the MBS course offered to him by a fellow street vendor, he realized the importance of saving money and has significantly reduced his alcohol consumption. Not only does he have more money to invest in his business and meet his personal needs, but this change of lifestyle has played a role in improving his home life and family relationships.

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From skeptical to successful

Lagos, Nigeria. Victoria is married to a Success Ambassador. She watched her husband facilitate self-reliance groups and she was a witness to the success he had in helping people start and grow their businesses. She was never opposed to the program, but she “never took it seriously” either; she just didn’t feel any connection. Then, after some complications in her own business, she found herself in financial crisis. She reached out to a local micro-finance bank, hoping to receive enough funding to save her business and help provide for her family. But when the bank asked for a copy of her cashflow statement, she had nothing to show. She knew this was something her husband taught regularly in his MBS courses, so she sought his assistance.

Coping with Conflicting Beliefs

Nigeria. Yusuf Bala received a degree in Business Administration from Nuhu Bamali Polytechnic, but had never been able to make ends meet. He says he had always been dependent on his brothers, but he wanted to provide for himself. He came across the MBS program and it looked like it could be the answer, but he worried because course was introduced in Nigeria through a notable Christian pastor and Yusuf was Muslim.

After attending a few of the initial classes, members of Yusuf’s family found out that he was associated with this Christian group and thought it was an indication that he had been converted from their traditional Islam faith. Yusuf says, “When my eldest brother got to know about it… he was furious and told me to stop going. I told the brother who introduced me to Interweave… that I won’t be able to end the course with all of them. He was furious and went mad by telling me ‘Your destiny is in your hands, so you have a choice to decide.’ After missing two classes, I thought about the whole scenario and summoned the courage to attend class regularly.”

Yusuf reflects on the life-changing improvements he’s been able to make in his business and in his everyday life, due to the training of the MBS course. Most notably, he is thankful for the additional knowledge he gained regarding the 6Ps of business, keeping an income and expense log, cash flow projections and simply saving money daily. He says each of these principles is “a vital aspect that had broadened [his] knowledge on achieving in business.”

Yusuf graduated from the MBS course in June 2019, alongside his Christian friend who introduced him to the course. He is now “gainfully employed with the establishment of [his] own Cassava farm” and within the next few months is expecting to make significant profit with his first harvest. He reflects, “I am enjoying every bit of my new venture because I can see prosperous future in my new calling as a farmer, and the same brother of mine had been a pillar of encouragement since he saw the manual of the course and its contents.”

Thanks to supportive family, friends and Interweave team and a courageous personal decision, Yusuf was able to overcome difficult circumstances and reach outside his comfort zone in order to improve his home, business and community.

***Note: Interweave Solutions is not affiliated with nor do we promote any specific religious or political group.

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COMING SOON: MBS Jr.

Colombia. Two important values at Interweave Solutions are “always improving” and “mutual respect for all.” These two principles have taken on meaning as we’ve worked to weave them together through the MBS Jr. Program. Although the curriculum itself will not be released until later this year, we are excited to share the progress of a pilot group of youth this past month.

Creating Family in Mali

Mali. Co-founder and Executive Director, Lynn Curtis, returned recently from a successful trip to Mali, where he trained a group of 26 native Malians in the MBS program. They have all submitted their paperwork and have been approved to receive their MBS certificates later in July. These humble and hardworking entrepreneurs worked for three days straight in temperatures reaching 107° F to receive the training necessary and complete their business, home and community plans.

Rapid Progress in Togo

Togo. A couple months ago we shared some pictures of the MBS group in Togo. Since that inicial push, we have seen incredible progress throughout Togo and just recently certified 7 more Success Ambassadors in the country! We are excited, both with the quantitative growth as well as the quality of dedicated and hardworking Success Ambassadors joining our international team! Here are some reasons why these great people wanted to become Success Ambassadors:

“The reason that I want to be a Success Ambassador is because I want to be an example of success and help those who are around me get training. My favorite part about the MBS course was how it taught you to make a report for your expenses. I now have a very clear idea about my financial situation. I also helped my wife in her small cooking business as she decided what products to choose and I taught her about the 6P’s. Now she and I are both happy and successful.”

-Anani

“I am happy to be a Success Ambassador. I now manage my business with more confidence because the principles I learned in the MBS helped me to become a better businessman. The part that I liked the most about MBS was that it taught me to be continually saving money.”

– Toye

“Through the MBS course I was able to see an incredible positive impact in my life. It changed me as a person and changed the way that I wanted to treat and serve others. I want to be a Success Ambassador in order to help others go through the same experience.”

– Koffi

“It was a challenge for me to take the MBS course and try to acheive self-reliance. For that reason, I want to become a Success Ambassador, to challenge myself to remain self-reliant and to teach and challenge others to do the same. My favorite part of the mBS course was that I learned how to make a report of my expenses. I know now how to use my money more wisely.”

-Tiempo

“I took the MBS course because I wanted a new project. What I got out of it was a way to help my entire family! I had been looking for a way to help support my family and help them become more successful, and I feel surprised and happy that I found tools to help me do that through the MBS course. I now want each of my family members to become a Success Ambassador.”

– Azedzi

“The MBS training is something special. It helped me to focus more on the areas of my life and help me progress. It is so unique to other trainings, and easy to be successful at the end of the program. I want to become a Success Ambassador to share this unique program with others.”

– Tozo

2019 Convention

Ecuador. Last week members of our team gathered with Success Ambassadors from around the world for the second annual Interweave Convention. There were about 30 Success Ambassadors representing Colombia, Chile, Turkey, Ecuador and the Unites States. Through bonding activities and training workshops, Interweave partners were able to grow together and really come to appreciate each others’ efforts and sacrifices.

The First MBS Group in Togo

Lomé, Togo. Success Ambassadors in Benin have been training a man in the MBS course from the neighboring country of Togo. Now this participant has become a Success Ambassador himself and has started his own group. Here are some photos of the first MBS group in Togo!

Togo. Success Ambassadors in Benin have been training a man in the MBS course from the neighboring country of Togo. Now this participant has become a Success Ambassador himself and has started his own group. Here are some photos of the first MBS group in Togo!

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Always Improving: Success Platform

Ecuador. Hernan is 74 years old and he is an MBS student in Ecuador. He had never before used a computer but through the patient mentorship of his Success Ambassador, he has learned basic technology skills. His Ambassador reports that Hernan “is making a great effort to advance in the Success Platform. He is motivated and we support him so that he can advance his progress. Hernan is an example for us all!”

Inspired by Cancer

Ecuador. “My name is Gueisel and I am 40 years old. My story begins when my husband was diagnosed with cancer and it brought a lot of sadness. Because of this trial, however, I began to sell desserts and empanadas y it turned out to be very successful. I sold 400 empanadas in two days. I never expected to sell so much and that’s when I decided to create my own business.

Long Sought Success

Uganda. Margaret Nelson is a retired RN from Washington State. Throughout her career she gained experience in clinical and community health, working with refugees and low-income populations. These experiences prepared her to move to Africa after her retirement, where she served on short-term mission trips and worked in local health clinics. She decided she wanted to do more so she settled down in a small village in Uganda, started building herself a house and developing plans to make a difference in the lives of the people she was getting to know. She worked with a few different NGOs, including a few that she started on her own, but never found the success she was seeking.

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Graduation on the other side of the World

Cameroon. We are so excited about the progress we’ve made around the world and want to share some photos of one of our recent Success Ambassador graduations. Merlin Saha graduated as a Success Ambassador, but due to his remote location, we held his graduation ceremony via an online video conference. It was a great experience to remind us that there are no limitations or restrictions to the success of an individual. We adapt to the situations we are handed and when we do so we can achieve great things! Good work Merlin!

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Mutual Respect for All

Ecuador. In every meeting at Interweave Solutions, we recite the “7 values”, which are crucial if we are to uphold our mission. The first of these values is one of the most important: Mutual Respect for All.

One Success Ambassador in Ecuador shows that she is willing to go out of her way to make sure everyone has an equal chance to benefit from the MBS program. As she started teaching the class, Ambassador Chio Zuñiga came in contact with the yard worker of one of her students. His name was Patricio. Because Chio is so passionate about the work she does with Interweave, she invited him to participate in her class. When he arrived, she noticed he was very quiet and to some degree seemed to have a learning disability. He didn’t know how to read, but carried an enthusiasm that ran deeper than his disadvantage.

Chickens in Uganda

Uganda. Ruth is an example of the success that can come from applying the principles of the MBS program, no matter where you are in the world. She has seen the 6P’s of business improve and grow her chicken business in many ways. Like all entrepreneurs, she started small, but now her business regularly houses over 2000 chickens and is constantly growing. Ruth shared with us how two specific principles she learned from the MBS program have helped her improve her business.

The First of Many

Cameroon. In June of last year, we posted on this blog about our newest Success Ambassador, Francky Adjomo, from Cameroon. In the last 7 months he’s been working hard to strengthen his MBS business and this month it finally paid off and he celebrated the graduation of his first self-reliance group! We are so excited to see him making such a difference in his community in Cameroon! Best of luck to Francky as he continues finding and training participants in the Masters of Business Program!

A Pleasure to Help

Benin. Jean Ahowekoun and Charles Nouatin are our two newest Success Ambassadors in Benin! They were both certified as Success Ambassadors within the last few months and are already seeing progress in the groups they have started. They are working especially with a group of women, some of which don’t even have basic reading skills, but they report that the women are eager to learn and improve their lives!

Connecting Hemispheres

Portugal. For a long time, Interweave Solutions has been focusing our efforts in many parts of Latin America and Africa, and we hadn’t seen as much growth in Europe and North America. However, we recently received a report from our Success Ambassador in Portugal with some fantastic updates about her progress there! Here is some of her exciting news!

Look at all those Peppers!

Democratic Republic of the Congo. A group in the Congo has taken the 6P’s of the MBS program and created a business growing and selling peppers in their local market! As a reminder, the 6P’s are:

PLAN, PRODUCT, PROCESS, PRICE, PROMOTION, and PAPERWORK.

We love seeing the application of these principles around the world, moving people from poverty to prosperity.

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Moving along in Cameroon

Cameroon. We have seen exciting progress throughout the last couple months in Cameroon. Success Ambassador Medjo Olivier has been working to create partnerships with various ministries and is looking forward to receiving substantial sponsorship from the Department of Origin in the coming year! Just in the last few weeks, Medjo has started training new participants in addition to the official group he started in the middle of October.

Connections Across Africa

Kenya. Jude Nwachukwu, a Success Ambassador from Liberia, recently met up with pastors from around Africa to attend a two week conference in Kenya. While there, he completed a 10-day MBS training for a participant who has since had his paperwork approved, received his MBS certificate and is working towards becoming our first Success Ambassador in Kenya.

Graduation in the Congo

Democratic Republic of the Congo. Success Ambassadors in the Congo have been working hard and the fruits have finally been harvested! Here was a graduation of a group sponsored by the Canadian University of the Congo. There are two more groups preparing to graduate in the coming months and a new “Center for Autonomy and MBS Services,” which they created as part of the course in order to help spread the program to the community.

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Moving forward in Ecuador

Ecuador. Dean Curtis, co-founder of Interweave Solutions recently traveled to South America to celebrate two exciting MBS Graduations in Ecuador and Colombia. Over 50 people in these two countries received their MBS Certifications! Our Success Ambassadors have been working hard to facilitate the progress of these participants along the road to self-sufficiency.

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Teaming up with the Community

Guyana. The MBS program focuses on 3 areas in which we can improve: business, home, and community. Interweave Guyana recently partnered with the local police station and a local church to participate in a service project to improve street conditions and erect some new road signs. As an organization that strives to strengthen people in groups, we’ve seen that service projects like this serve to both strengthen the community and build bridges between different organizations, allowing us to work together for good.

Interweave in Guyana

Berbice, Guyana. In 2014, Interweave Solutions partnered with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints to provide business training to its members all over Guyana. A year later and after measurable success, Dr. Lynn Curtis and two Success Ambassadors presented the program to the First Lady of Guyana, who proceeded to make it a key part of her office’s agenda. Since then, Interweave’s Master of Business in the Streets program has grown and thrived throughout the country.

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Never Too Young: The youngest MBS participant

Ecuador. May Rodriguez became a Success Ambassador and brought along her 9 year-old daughter, Ghia, to all the classes she taught. After watching three different groups graduate, Ghia decided that she too wanted to take the class and start her own business. She is currently participating in her mom’s MBS class and completing all the requirements. She has started her business making and selling pillows and small stuffed animals.

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Sponsorship in Honduras

Honduras. We want to recognize and give a special thanks to this group of students from the Technological Institute of Business Administration in Choluteca. They form part of an MBS group led by Success Ambassador Jonathan Rodriguez. The group is sponsored by a deputy in the National Congress of Honduras. These young entrepreneurs demonstrate that with big dreams and support from both Interweave and local government leaders, there are no boundaries or limitations. Thanks for your great work!

Making Time for the Angels

Bolivia. Before she began the MBS program, Lydia Aguilar was trying to make a small business out of making and selling leather jackets to her neighbors, but ultimately she had no idea how to run a business. Now that she has taken and graduated from the MBS course, she organizes her successfully growing business well.

Sweet Inspiration: A hobby to a thriving business

Ecuador. Maria Elena had always loved making desserts but because she never had experience she threw out more damaged dough than she baked. Then suddenly one day, the bread she was making turned out so well that her neighbors asked her if she sold it. She knew it was not a coincidence that in her next MBS class, they discussed the 6Ps of business. That very night, she set a price and determined to sell her product to the neighbors.

Engage Now Africa!, THRIVEGulu, and Our Trip to Uganda

Uganda. ENGAGE NOW AFRICA! THRIVEGULU AND INTERWEAVE IN UGANDA

Co-founder of Interweave, Lynn Curtis, recently went on a trip of a lifetime to Uganda.
There were so many amazing things that happened during the trip, but here are some of the highlights.

Engage Now Africa

Uganda. 10–Year Partnership. Since 2008, Interweave has partnered with Engage Now Africa to end poverty. We worked with them in previous years in the greater Accra area to advance self-reliance for hundreds of unemployed families. Participants excelled at micro-businesses while also improving their homes and communities.

Congratulations, Francky!

Cameroon. A NEW SUCCESS AMBASSADOR IN CAMEROON

It’s always exciting to see progress internationally. We continue to see other individuals around the world work hard to become Success Ambassadors for Interweave Solutions.

The Story of Benin

Benin. In July of 2017, Mr. Kazotti Ifonti of Benin, Africa traveled to Ghana where he met our current Success Ambassador, Saida Zouzou. Mr. Kazotti learned about the Interweave Solutions MBS program and was immediately interested in bringing the program back to his home country. Back in Benin, he began the MBS program online. He began to invite other people from his personal network. Briac Afangnon and Isidore Odountan also began the MBS course online. The men all graduated successfully from the MBS program and went on to each receive their Success Ambassador Certificate.

Today, Mr. Kazotti, Mr. Agangnon, and Mr. Odountan have established their own legal NGO, Interweave Solutions Benin. Not only are they are mentoring participants from Kenya through our online system, they each have their own self-reliance group of participants who are working towards their MBS certification.

Their other current projects include creating a proposal for their meeting with the First Lady of Benin, partnering with LDS Charities West Africa, and translating all of our manuals and online materials into a more native French.

They are each amazing men who caught the Interweave Vision and are on their way to great success. We are very grateful for their hard work and tireless efforts to improve.

Along with their hard work, they are also facing a problem. Interweave Solutions Benin wants to offer the program to clients who are properly prepared with skill training and great potential. However, some of the single mothers and other vulnerable members of their clientele in the area have great business ideas and desire to receive the self-reliance training but do not have the means to pay for the MBS course. They are looking for scholarships for these clients so that they will be able to receive the life-changing MBS self-reliance training.

If you are interested in helping the Interweave Solutions Benin project, please make a donation today! Anywhere from a $25 donation could not only change somebody’s life but also help them reach their true potential. Those who receive financial aid will be pre-qualified individuals who have proven themselves to be worthy qualifiers of the scholarship.

If you at this time cannot make a donation, we ask that you please share this story on social media so that we can fulfill our mission providing self-reliance and business training for those in need. The more people that know about the campaign and donate, the more people that can become MBS graduates and Success Ambassadors around the world, thus eradicating poverty around the world.

Interweave’s Newest Ambassadors

Mexico. We recently have had sixteen new ambassadors join our team! They are from México and we are so excited to have them as a part of our team.

They each had to pass through an interview process to verify that they were serious candidates and ready to help spread the Interweave vision. They had a special graduation ceremony in which co-founder, Dean Curtis and Latin American program director, Diego Lizano gave the certificates. The celebration was beautiful and the new ambassadors are already forming groups and making a difference in the world of Interweave already.