Here is a photo taken while I was student in 1975. With the guidance of George Ann Huck, professor and mentor extraordinaria, the women of a poor neighborhood about an hour's walk from the Central House had formed a co-op to make and sell macraméd (yes, macramé!) planters. We helped them to think of other ideas such as handbags and wall hangings. We also helped them to set prices, find established stores in which to place their items and decide what to do with the profits.

The women decided to set aside a certain amount of money each week to bring potable water to their neighborhood and to establish a savings account that could only be used to help other women start projects to improve their economic situation. Gosh, today this is called microfinancing! At that time, it was simply called survival.