Pyapy Mbarete Group

About the Pyapy Mbarete Group: This group was formed a year ago and the majority of the members are new to the business world. The loans have helped give them even more incentive. The group has grown considerably and has been improving in many aspects. You can see the growth and the change of attitude in the women. The group continues to grow and is each member motivated to succeed. Josefina Riveros sells handicrafts. Zulma Gomez sells drink. Cristina Duarte sells food. Rafaela Aguayo sells coal. Maxima Ayala sells fruit. Carmen Navarro sells garlic. Zulma Gamarra has a general store. Andresa Perez is a vendor. Erma Velazquez is employed. Norma Figueredo is a tailor. Cecilia Burgos is a pastry chef. Martina Lopez sells peanuts. Esmeralda Chamorro sells drinks. Mirna Romero sells drinks. Simona Balbuena sells milk. Mirna Servian sells drinks. Margarita Prieto sells fruit. Gloria Villalba sells garlic. Felicia Gimenez has a general store.

About the Republic of Paraguay:

In the disastrous War of the Triple Alliance (1865-70) - between Paraguay and Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay - Paraguay lost two-thirds of all adult males and much of its territory. It stagnated economically for the next half century. In the Chaco War of 1932-35, Paraguay won large, economically important areas from Bolivia. The 35-year military dictatorship of Alfredo Stroessner ended in 1989, and, despite a marked increase in political infighting in recent years, Paraguay has held relatively free and regular presidential elections since then.

On April 22, 2008, Fernando Lugo, a former Roman Catholic Bishop, was elected president of Paraguay beating the Colorado Party's candidate, Blanca Ovelar de Duarte, by 10 percentage points. Lugo's victory ended the Colorado Party's 61 years in power—a system of bureaucracy and patronage founded in 1887. Fernando Lugo was sworn in as president on August 15, 2008.

Current Situation: Corruption is widespread and Paraguay is a center for smuggling, money laundering and organized crime. The commercialization of agriculture, population growth and forest clearances have led to a dramatic increase in the number of landless families. This has boosted migration into urban areas and shanty towns have burgeoned. Around 60% of Paraguayans live in poverty.