Whoever said things don't make people happy didn't see the look on the community members' faces when we brought bags and bags filled with clothes, shoes, household goods, school supplies, etc. Thanks to all of our generous donors, we were able to collect a very handsome amount of items to share with the community of Hijos de Praderas.
However, in order to make sure that community members were only taking the items that they actually needed, we decided to hold feria (open market) to sell the items for a very small price of S/. 1-5 PEN, which is equivalent to about $0.30 - $1.50 USD. Putting a price on the item, albeit very low, encourages community members to prioritize purchasing the items they need. Furthermore, all of the money raised will be directly donated back to the social projects in that same community.
This approach was very beneficial as we were able to both raise S/. 534 and continue to build relationships with the community members through personal interactions. The community gathered around in excitement for the feria, and we were so excited to further establish a working relationship with the Hijos de Praderas community. Getting to know the community is critical in being able to successfully implement projects with the help of the community members.
By the end of the ferias, there were few items left that were then donated to the community members that were most in need. In order to decide who will benefit most from the items, we work with the community leader - she is the most aware of the community members' financial and personal situations.
Thank you to all of the donors, volunteers, and community members that made the ferias such a success!
Meygan Ngo
Communications &
Project Coordinator
Reciprocity NGO 🌈