SEX WORKERS IN TIJUANA ARE AT RISK OF VIOLENCE AND HIV AND AIDS. MANY OF THE WOMEN IN THE INDUSTRY DO NOT HAVE THE FINANCIAL RESOURCES TO GET OUT. USING THOSE TWO FACTS PROJECT IS ABOUT TO GET UNDERWAY THAT COMBINES HEALTH CONCERNS WITH FINANCIAL AND -- EMPOWERMENT. MORE THAN 100 WOMEN WORK IN THE SEX INDUSTRY IN TIJUANA AND WILL BE SELECTED TO RECEIVE MICROLOANS TO START NEW BUSINESSES. THAT EFFORT WILL THEN BE EVALUATED TO SEE IF THE CHANGE REDUCES THE HEALTH RISKS AND VIOLENCE THESE WOMEN FACE. JOINING ME TO EXPLAIN HOW THE SCHEMA PROJECT WILL WORK ARE MY GUESTS, WHEN COX IS A COFOUNDER OF WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT INTERNATIONAL A SAN DIEGO-BASED NONPROFIT PARTNERS WITH THANKS FOR THE POOR TO FUND MICROLOANS. WELCOME TO THE PROGRAM. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ALISA SABATINI'S EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE INTERNATIONAL. A SAN DIEGO-BASED NONPROFIT WORKING WITH THE POOR IN MEXICO. WELCOME TO THE PROGRAM. THANK YOU. WHY IS THIS EFFORT AIMED AT WOMEN IN THE SEX INDUSTRY? THEY ARE POOR. MICROLOANS WORLDWIDE ARE IN THAT POOR WOMEN AND THE WOMEN IN THIS PROJECT ON AVERAGE AND ABOUT $500 A MONTH. ON TOP OF THAT THEY ALSO ARE OFTEN SUBJECT TO VIOLENCE AND HAVE A HIGHER THAN AVERAGE INCIDENCE OF HIV. THEIR WOMEN WHO NEED AN ALTERNATIVE WAY TO EARN INCOME SO THAT THEY CAN HAVE SOME INDEPENDENCE, INCREASE THEIR SELF-ESTEEM AND MOST IMPORTANTLY INCREASE THEIR ECONOMIC INCOME. IS THIS THE FIRST TIME THIS POPULATION HAS BEEN THE FOCUS OF A MICRO LOAN PROGRAM? WORLDWIDE THERE ARE VERY FEW EFFORTS LIKE THIS. THIS IS DEFINITELY ONE OF THE FEW IN THE WORLD WHERE MICROLOANS ARE BEING APPLIED OR OFFERED TO SAYS WORKERS, YES. WHY? THERE ARE SO MANY POOR PEOPLE, THERE ARE 2.5 BILLION PEOPLE LIVING ON TWO DOLLARS A DAY AND MOST BANKS FOR THE POOR ARE REACHING OUT TO THOSE POOR PEOPLE BUT THEY HAVEN'T REALLY TRIED TO REACH SEX WORKERS AND IT IS A POPULATION THAT HAS NOT BEEN STUDIED, NOBODY KNOWS IF THIS WILL BE SUCCESSFUL IN CHANGING THEIR INCIDENCE OF HIV SLASH AIDS AND THE PERSONAL VIOLENCE. FOR US IT IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT. WE ARE TRYING TO REACH POOR WOMEN ALL OF THE WORLD AND THESE ARE POOR PLUS IN A CRITICAL STATE. ALISA, WHAT ARE THE SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES FACED BY THESE WOMEN THAT MAKE THEM IN PARTICULAR NEED OF A MICRO FINANCE PROGRAM? I THINK THAT THESE PARTICULAR WOMEN SHARE A LOT OF THE CHARACTERISTICS OF ALL WOMEN IN POVERTY. THE WOMEN THAT WE WORK WITH ARE OFTEN SINGLE MOMS, THEY HAVE VERY LITTLE EDUCATION OR AT LEAST VERY LITTLE FORMAL EDUCATION AND THEIR OPPORTUNITIES ARE VERY FIVE. I'M NOT SURE THAT THEY ARE MUCH DIFFERENT THAN MANY POOR PEOPLE. AND IN PARTICULAR IN THE BORDER REGION WHICH IS A VERY COMPLEX SITUATION AND A VERY, IN THE CASE OF TIJUANA, URBAN SITUATION THESE MINI, MANY WOMEN WHO HAVE COME FROM OTHER PARTS OF MEXICO FOR CENTRAL AMERICA AND ARE IN A SENSE CATCHING OUT A LIVING AT THE BORDER STRUGGLE WITH THIS VERY SAME ISSUE. SOCON WE FEEL THAT THIS PARTICULAR INTERVENTION ALTHOUGH TARGETED AT THIS PARTICULAR PEOPLE IS SOMETHING THAT IS RELEVANT FOR ALL PEOPLE THAT ARE MIGRANT, THAT HAVE POVERTY SITUATIONS AND THAT ARE LIVING WITH VERY OFTEN THE CARETAKING ROLE OF SMALL CHILDREN CAN YOU EXPLAIN TO US A LITTLE BIT OF THE PROCESS YOU GO THROUGH IN ACTUALLY GETTING THESE LOANS AND SECURING THESE LOANS FOR THESE PROJECTS? WE DON'T ACTUALLY -- OUR ORGANIZATION FUNDS OTHER ORGANIZATIONS LIKE VIA INTERNATIONAL AND ADMINISTER THE LOANS. OUR JOB IS TO RAISE THE MONEY TO GET THOSE LOANS OUT TO POOR WOMEN. SO ALISA CAN EXPLAIN HOW THE LOANS ARE ADMINISTERED. MY BACKGROUND HAPPENS TO BE IN MICRO FINANCE PROBABLY WORKING IN IT FOR ALMOST 30 YEARS NOW. ONE OF THE KEY FACTORS HAS BEEN SOLIDARITY. AND SO THESE LOANS ARE ADMINISTERED TWO GROUPS, IF THERE WERE A GROUP OF FIVE OF US HERE AND WE COULD OFFER $1000 TO THOSE FIVE PEOPLE THAT GROUP WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE WHOLE AMOUNT OF THE LOAN. HERE IS WHERE THE SAVINGS TO THE PROMOTIONAL SAVINGS THAT WOULD BE THE BENEFIT FROM WORKING WITH THE BANK IS THAT THE GROUP IS THE COLLATERAL FOR THE LOANS. AND SO THAT SOLIDARITY IMPLIES MANY THINGS. IT IMPLIES TRUST, RESPECT, CONFIDENCE, BELIEVE IN OTHERS. I THINK THAT THOSE THINGS ARE THE ASPECTS THAT CREATE THE COLLATERAL TO MAKE THESE ON PROCESSES FUNCTION. AS I UNDERSTAND IT, WHEN THE ENTIRE SCOPE OF THIS PROJECT IS TO HAVE EVENTUALLY 120 WOMEN TAKE PART IN IT. HOW MUCH WILL EACH OF THESE WOMEN BE GETTING? THE BASE LEVEL OF OUR LOANS IS $200. GENERALLY THAT CAN GO UP TO MAYBE $900 OVER THE COURSE OF LOAN CYCLES. THE CYCLES FOR THE LOANS ARE FOR MONTHS. -- FOUR MONTHS. YOU CAN HAVE A LOAN OF $200 FOR FOUR MONTHS AND IF YOU NEED A LITTLE MORE CAPITAL YOU CAN GO UP TO $300 THE NEXT TYPE -- CYCLE. THAT LOAN MUST BE REPAID IN FULL WITH INTEREST TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE NEXT CYCLE OF LOAN. WHAT KIND OF BUSINESSES WITH THE WOMEN IN TIJUANA BE PROPOSING? WHAT HAVE YOU HEARD THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO DO? MANY OF THE WOMEN IN OUR CURRENT PROGRAM WHICH HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED NOW FOR 10 YEARS IN TIJUANA DO SMALL RETAIL BUSINESSES. THIS IS A SORT OF BIG ONE AMONG THE WOMEN. MARY KAY COSMETICS IS A BIG ONE. THE BY THE INVENTORY, THEY SELL IT OVER THE FOUR-MONTH, THEY BY MORE INVENTORY AND THEY ARE ABLE TO CREATE SOME EARNINGS FOR THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILIES THROUGH THAT PROCESS. ESSENTIALLY THERE TAKING THE REVOLVING LOAN. OTHER SMALL BUSINESSES ARE OFTEN TARGETED AT FOR PRODUCTION. IT MIGHT BE -- AT FOOD PRODUCTION. IT MIGHT BE USING -- MAKING TAMALES THAT ARE SOLD IN THE SCHOOLYARD FOR CHILDREN TO HAVE A NUTRITIOUS LUNCH. OTHER WOMEN IN TIJUANA HAVE SMALL WITH A CALL MARKETS ON WHEELS OPERATIONS WHERE THEY GO TO THE VARIOUS IMMUNITIES AROUND THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD AND SELL PRODUCTS. OFTEN RESELL PRODUCTS. THERE IS A HUGE RESELL MARKET IN TIJUANA FOR GOODS THAT WE BASICALLY GIVE AWAY. USED CLOTHING, OTHER ITEMS LIKE THAT THEY BUY IN BULK AND RESELL TO THEIR NEIGHBORS. IS IT YOUR UNDERSTANDING THERE IS ANY TRAINING THAT GOES ALONG WITH THE DISTRIBUTION OF THESE SMALL MICROLOANS? EXACTLY. WORLDWIDE THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS THE WOMEN DON'T JUST GET THE LOANS, THEY GET TO BUSINESS TRAINING, THEY GET INFORMATION ON PRODUCT MANAGEMENT, PRODUCT CHOICE, INVENTORY BUYING THE RIGHT QUANTITIES. ALL OF THAT IS CRITICAL TO THE SUCCESS OF THEIR BUSINESSES. EVEN IF THEIR BONUS SMALL THEY WANT THEIR BUSINESS TO BE SUCCESSFUL. A LOT OF THE TRAINING ACTUALLY HAPPENS ALSO BY OTHER MEMBERS OF THE GROUP WHO HAVE A LITTLE MORE EXPERIENCE AND WILL ADMONISH ANOTHER MEMBER TO NOT BUY SO MUCH INVENTORY OR PAY ATTENTION TO THE PRICE CHANGE OR THAT IS NOT A GOOD NEIGHBORHOOD TO SELL IN. I HAVE TRIED THAT. BUSINESS TRADING -- TRAINING IS ESSENTIAL AND A LOT OF IT HAPPENS IN THE TIJUANA PROGRAM. WHAT WERE THE STATISTICS -- I DON'T MEAN THE ACTUAL NUMBERS BUT THE OVERALL IDEA OF HOW WELL THESE PROGRAMS WORK? WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS MOST PARTICIPANTS SUCCESSFUL STARTING A BUSINESS? TO MOST OF THE LOANS GET PAID BACK? WORLDWIDE ABOUT 95% OF THE LOANS ARE GOING TO GET PAID BACK. THAT IS WHAT A LOT OF COMMERCIAL BANKS GOT INTERESTED IN MICRO FINANCE. MICRO FINANCE THAT WE FUND IS FOR VERY POOR WOMEN WHO EVEN COMMERCIAL BANKS WOULD HAVE NO INTEREST IN AND THEY HAVE NO COLLATERAL. THE REPAYMENT RATE IS VERY HIGH. THE WOMEN ARE ABLE TO DO THAT AND WHEN THEY REPEAT IT THE MONEY GOES OUT TO ANOTHER WOMAN AND THE WOMEN IF THEY HAVE REPAID IN FULL AND ON TIME CAN GET A NEW LOAN TO GROW THE BUSINESS. AS I UNDERSTAND READING ABOUT THE ESTEEM OF PROJECT IT IS IN SOME SORT OF COLLABORATION WITH AN ONGOING UC SAN DIEGO HEALTH STUDY IN TIJUANA. WHAT ROLE IS UC SAN DIEGO PLAYING IN THIS PROJECT? UC SAN DIEGO WILL BE CONDUCTING, WHICH IS VERY DIFFICULT TO DO FOR A SMALL NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION, BUT REALLY QUITE AN EFFECTIVE EVALUATION OF THE PROGRAM ONCE WE ARE UP AND RUNNING. THIS PARTICULAR PROCESS WILL BE THROUGH GLOBAL HEALTH SO WE WILL BE PARTICULARLY LOOKING AT THE IMPACT ON THE HEALTH ASPECTS OF THESE WOMEN IN THE PROGRAM. I ALSO THINK THAT IT IS, FOR US, A HUGE HONOR TO WORK WITH UCSD TO HAVE THEIR CREDIBILITY FOR SHOWING THE PROGRAMS SUCH AS THESE CAN HELP WOMEN WHO ARE LIVING IN POVERTY OR EXTREMELY VULNERABLE SITUATIONS. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE VULNERABILITY, THE HEALTH AND ABILITY OF THIS PARTICULAR GROUP OF WOMEN WORKING AS SEX WORKERS IN TIJUANA IS PART OF THEIR ONGOING STUDY TO FIND OUT EXACTLY WHAT KINDS OF HEALTH RISKS THEY FACE. WHAT KIND -- WHAT THE LEVEL OF VIOLENCE IS THE CASE AND WHETHER OR NOT CHANGING A BUSINESS STARTING A BUSINESS DOING SOMETHING ELSE IS GOING TO REALLY IMPROVE THEIR HEALTH. I THINK IT IS SUCH A COMPLEX SITUATION IN QUESTION BECAUSE IF I -- I WILL JUST PROFILE SOMEONE. IF WE WERE SPEAKING ABOUT MARIA WHO CAME FROM SOUTHERN AND SOME DASHING YOUNG MAN CAME INTO HER VILLAGE AND CONVINCED HER TO GO AWAY WITH HIM TO TIJUANA AND THEN SHE SORT OF FINDS HERSELF IN A VERY LARGE CITY IN A CIRCUMSTANCE WERE MAYBE HE DISAPPEARS OR A SITUATION OF SUCH VULNERABILITY WITH VERY LITTLE EDUCATION AND MAYBE NOW WITH A CHILD THEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A COMPLEX NUMBER OF FACTORS THAT ARE AFFECTING HER HEALTH, HER CHILDREN'S HEALTH AND OBVIOUSLY HER FUTURE. SO TO HAVE A DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THAT POSSIBILITY THAT SHE CAN MAKE SOME CHOICE -- I WAS SPEAKING WITH ONE OF THE WOMEN IN OUR EDUCATION PROGRAM AND SHE MENTIONED THAT SHE STARTED LIFE AS A DAUGHTER AND THEN SHE WAS THE WIFE AND THEN SHE WAS A MOTHER AND ALL OF A SUDDEN SHE SAID USEFULLY, I AM. SO I THINK THIS IS THE KIND OF TRANSFORMATION WE HOPE IN THE WOMEN THEMSELVES. AND THAT IS GOING TO AFFECT THEIR CHILDREN'S EDUCATION, AFFECT THEIR OWN WELL-BEING, AFFECT THEIR HEALTH CHOICES. THAT IS WHAT WE HOPE TO DEMONSTRATE IN THE PROGRAM. WHEN THE MICROPHONE CONCEPT HAS BEEN CELEBRATED AS A TREMENDOUS FINANCIAL INNOVATION THAT TRANSFORMS A POOR COMMUNITY BUT A NEW ANALYSIS HAS CAST SOME DOUBT ON THAT. THE AMERICAN ECONOMIC JOURNAL STUDY SAID MICRO LENDING USUALLY FAILS TO RAISE OVERALL INCOMES IN POOR COMMUNITIES AROUND THE GLOBE. WHAT IS YOUR REACTION TO THAT? POVERTY IS SUCH AN INGRAINED GENERATIONAL GRIND. MICRO FINANCE ISN'T THE ONLY SOLUTION. THERE IS NO SILVER BULLET TO PULL PEOPLE OUT OF POVERTY. WE SEE WOMEN FINALLY ABLE TO SUPPORT THEIR CHILDREN, FINALLY ABLE TO SEND THEIR CHILDREN TO SCHOOL, FINALLY ABLE TO ADEQUATELY FEED THEM AND KNOW THAT THEY WILL HAVE FOOD EVERY DAY THIS WEEK BUT THEY ARE STILL LIVING IN POVERTY. THEY ARE IN EXTREME POVERTY STILL. IT TAKES -- IT IS GOING TO TAKE GENERATIONS FOR THE WOMEN TO GET THESE LOANS, TO START EDUCATING THEIR CHILDREN, TO FEEDING THEM BETTER. THE CHILDREN WILL THEN HAVE MORE OPPORTUNITIES. THEIR CHILDREN WILL HAVE MORE OPPORTUNITIES. IT HAS TO BE A LOT OF THINGS. IT CANNOT JUST BE LOANS, IT HAS TO BE EDUCATION, HEALTH INFORMATION, BUSINESS TRAINING. THEY NEED OTHER HELP ALSO LIKE GETTING INSURANCE, HELPING WITH THEIR SAVINGS. WE FEEL THAT THE BEST APPROACH AND IT IS THE APPROACH THAT WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT TAKE, HOLISTIC, WE ONLY PARTNER WITH THANKS FOR THE POOR THAT WE WILL FUND THE LOANS BUT THEY HAVE TO OFFER OTHER SERVICES. ANOTHER PERSON MIGHT BE ABLE TO ASK LISA WHY FOCUS ON SEX WORKERS IN TIJUANA? THERE MAY BE MANY PEOPLE, MANY WOMEN HERE IN SAN DIEGO WHO COULD USE THE KIND OF HELP THAT YOU ARE OFFERING THIS PARTICULAR POPULATION IN TIJUANA. FIRST OF ALL I WOULD SAY THAT OUR PROGRAM FOR MICROCREDIT IN TIJUANA HAS WORKED WITH THE GENERAL POPULATION FOR OVER 10 YEARS NOW. I WAS JUST LOOKING AT SOME OF THE NUMBERS AND WE LAST YEAR PROVIDED OVER 500 SMALL CREDITS -- LOAN OFFERINGS TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN TIJUANA. AND OF COURSE THAT WAS WHY WE WERE SO HONORED TO BUILD WORK WITH WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT ON THIS SPECIFIC PROGRAM. WE ARE HERE IN SAN DIEGO PART OF THE SAN DIEGO MICRO FINANCE ALLIANCE AND THAT IS TO WORK WITH THE VARIETY OF SMALL LOAN ORGANIZATIONS HERE IN SAN DIEGO. THERE ARE SOME WONDERFUL ONES. OUR LOCATION IS IN BARRIO LOGAN. WE HAVE BEEN THERE ONE YEAR. OUR FOCUS PRIOR TO THIS HAS BEEN IN TIJUANA. WE ARE ACTUALLY LOOKING TOWARD SUPPORTING SOME ALTERNATIVE KINDS OF CREDIT, EDUCATION AND ACTUALLY ARTS AND CULTURE PROGRAMS IN THE COMMUNITY OF BARRIO LOGAN. WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT ALSO PARTNERS WITH THE INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE IN SAN DIEGO AT CITY HEIGHTS TO HAVE A BUSINESS INCUBATOR FOR REFUGEE WOMEN AND ALL POOR WOMEN. AND SO, ANY WOMAN WHO IS DOCUMENTED AS POOR CAN COME TO THE CENTER AND GET COMPREHENSIVE HELP TO START A BUSINESS. EVERYTHING THEY NEED. MARKETING, LICENSING FEES, TRAINING. THAT CENTER HAS HELPED START OVER 200 BUSINESSES IN SAN DIEGO. AGAIN, SEX WORKERS IN SAN DIEGO CAN ABSOLUTELY AVAIL THEMSELVES TO THE PROGRAM. I WANT TO THANK YOU BOTH FOR REALLY EXPLAINING THIS VERY WELL. Winn AND THANK YOU FOR COMING IN. I HAVE BEEN SPEAKING WITH Cox, THE COFOUNDER OF WOMEN EMPOWERMENT INTERNATIONAL AND ALICIA SABATINI THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE INTERNATIONAL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
UC San Diego researchers estimate between 5 percent to 14 percent of the 9,000 women and girls who work in the bi-national sex trade in Tijuana are infected with HIV.
With that in mind — coupled with the idea that many women cannot leave the industry without financial resources — a new project began to help 120 workers in Tijuana leave the sex industry.
The ESTIMA Project, which stands for Economic and Social Empowerment to Increase Upward Mobility Among Women, offers microloans to the women. The effort will be evaluated to see if it reduces the health risks and violence these women face.
The project is being led by Women’s Empowerment International and Via International, San Diego nonprofits that work with people living in poverty.
Win Cox, co-founder of Women's Empowerment International, said the women in this project were earning about $500 a month as prostitutes. They also were often victims of violence.
“They’re women who need an alternative way to earn income so they have some independence” Cox told KPBS Midday Edition on Thursday. “They are poor plus in a critical state.”
Elisa Sabatini, executive director of Via International, said the project also benefits those who move to the Tijuana area for better lives.
“We feel that this particular intervention is something that’s relevant for all people that are migrant,” Sabatini said.
The initial loan amounts are $250. After the first loan is paid, women can apply for larger loans of up to $1,000. The group plans to seek additional funds if the project proves to be successful.
