LIMA, Peru—"Enko,” a mobile business development platform in Peru promoting the businesses of Venezuelans and Peruvians participating in the WOCCU Economic Inclusion Project’s (EIP) entrepreneurship development programs, has officially been launched in this country.
USAID, World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU) and VISA last week are backing the initiative.
First launched by EIP in Ecuador this August, Enko is a mobile app that provides training in 15-minute lessons on management, personal development, finance, marketing and sales through short videos, illustrations and interactive activities, WOCCU reported.
At the launch event, EIP presented the benefits of the tool to entrepreneurs and representatives of multiple entities in attendance, the World Council said.
“The Enko platform is not only a tool that complements and reinforces the knowledge of the people who have participated in our entrepreneurship development programs, but also provides new knowledge and reaches different audiences, such as young people, the rural population and excluded populations," said Oscar Guzman, EIP chief of party.
Alina Carmona, senior manager of Visa’s Inclusive Impact and Sustainability for Latin America and the Caribbean, added, “Our purpose is to help micro and small enterprises to make better financial and business decisions based on knowledge and, in this way, contribute to the development of an open and inclusive economy. Collaborative work such as this, with WOCCU and USAID, is essential to amplify the impact of solutions as valuable as Enko, which we already have working in more than 10 countries in Latin America, and now allows us to offer Peruvian entrepreneurs the tools they need to grow their businesses,” said Carmona.
Panel of Exerts
According to WOCCU, throughout the event a panel of experts emphasized the importance of managing virtual training programs to strengthen economic inclusion in Peru. Participants included representatives from the Municipality of Lima, Peru's Ministry of Production, and Peru's Superintendence of Banking, Insurance and AFP (SBS).
“The pandemic showed us the importance of managing our personal finances well and also led us to digitalization. SBS started working on digital tools for financial education, which has allowed us to democratize access to information, based on [a person’s] needs and available time," said Juan Carlos Chong, SBS head of the Department of Education and Financial Inclusion.
Putting Knowledge into Practice
EIP participants who had already used Enko expressed their support for its effectiveness and functionality, WOCCU said.
“After participating in the project’s School of Dreamers, I forgot many things or stopped practicing them over time. Definitely, the Enko platform helps you remember, update yourself and, with the different resources it provides, put what you learn into practice,” said Vanessa Gonzalez, a Venezuelan participant in the Economic Inclusion Project.
WOCCU reported that Jaime Chang, a representative from USAID Peru’s Regional Migration and Health Office, reaffirmed the commitment of the United States government to continue collaborations that improve the quality of life for the migrant and refugee population.
“We can all benefit from having a little more education, and in the case of migrants who find it difficult to have a foreigner’s card to access different services, through Enko they have the opportunity to educate themselves with no limitations," said Chang.
An Additional Option
Through the tool, WOCCU said that it and USAID are providing one more option to facilitate the growth and sustainability of the more than 8,000 Venezuelan and low-income locals in Peru and Ecuador who have developed their businesses through the Economic Inclusion Project through September 2022.
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