Tejiendo Futuros (Weaving Futures)
Number of Hours Pledged: 400
SDGs Supported: #1 No Poverty, #2 Zero Hunger, #3 Good Health and Well-Being, #4 Quality Education, #8 Decent Work and Economic Growth, #11 Sustainable Cities and Communities
Country: Guatemala
Summary: Ingrid Villaseñor was raised by a single mother who taught her that women are strong, successful and resilient. Not everyone is fortunate enough to have such an encouraging force in their lives, Villaseñor knows. So in 2018 she created Tejiendo Futuros (Weaving Futures), a nonprofit offering social services to families in Panajachel, Guatemala. The organization runs a network of programs to educate, feed, provide medical care and raise aspirations for vulnerable families.
“Ingrid is helping break the poverty cycle by working with families to help them realize that no matter your culture or origin, you are worthy and can succeed,” says María Laura González, PMP, Latin American community coordinator for the nonprofit Project Managers Without Borders (PMWB).
But, like many an advocate focused on social impact, Villaseñor lacked a well-defined business plan and a capable team to help see through her vision. “It was a one-woman show,” González says. “She needed help to focus her efforts on what was really important and delegate the rest.”
That’s where PMWB stepped in. The organization’s volunteers worked with Villaseñor to help Tejiendo Futuros better communicate its services. And they also helped the nonprofit plan and build an agroecological farm for residents of Panajachel, providing both food and a source of income to the community.
González and fellow PMWB volunteer Rubielka Romero, worked together on behalf of PMWB as a part of their Hours for Impact pledge. PMWB has more than 500 volunteers across the globe, offering their services to help nonprofits improve efficiency and achieve more. The group has made nine pledges worldwide, giving an impressive 2,210 hours to projects—including Villaseñor’s group—to drive progress toward multiple UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Hours for Impact has been a great fit for PMWB, says founder Deanna Landers, PMP: “Project managers gain the feeling of accomplishment and contribution, while those who are receiving the benefit of the volunteer hours gain tremendously as well—especially if the time was dedicated to project management.”
For González, Romero, and Landers, helping organizations like Tejiendo Futuros become more sustainable, efficient and effective is the ultimate reward.
“When we collaborate and focus, we can affect the well-being of the entire planet and the people who live on it,” Landers says. “And I can’t imagine anything more important than that.”