Jodie Parys is no stranger to the Spanish language or Latin American culture. The UW-Whitewater Spanish professor is the limited English proficiency coordinator and has been learning Spanish since middle school.
After majoring in Spanish in college, she planned to become a bilingual doctor. However, after studying the representation of HIV and AIDS in Uruguay between her junior and senior years, she decided to attend graduate school rather than medical school. Parys then went on to get a master’s and doctorate in Spanish and began teaching at UW-W.
In 2019, on a personal trip to Guatemala, Parys was introduced to La Union Spanish School, which is the school that Parys and UW-W students now work with.
“I was seeing all of the poverty and all of the challenges in the community, and we were talking about ways that I could maybe partner with them through my Spanish classes because I do a lot of community-based learning,” Parys said.
Parys was directed to ProChapina, whose goal is to expand entrepreneurial offerings to single women in the community. The word “ProChapina” derives from the local Spanish word for a Guatemalan woman, chapina, and pro being in favor or support of.
“I came back from that trip, and I contacted a few colleagues and started diving in to see how we could support them,” Parys said.
ProChapina had three different types of workshops, which were haircutting, sewing and baking, that they hoped to start. Parys partnered with Enactus, a student organization that focuses on social entrepreneurship, to organize a fundraiser. By the beginning of 2020 they raised $2,500 and collected over 3,000 individual item donations to support those workshops.
During the pandemic, the focus shifted to getting the word out about these programs. “Our students built a website, brochures and marketing materials, and worked on fundraising,” Parys said. “So, now we’re up to another $2,000 in items fundraised.”
On a trip to Guatemala last summer, students were able to bring back handmade “worry dolls,” made by local Guatemalan women. The students then sell the dolls and other handmade goods to raise money to put back into the program.
“What’s really interesting about ProChapina is it primarily supports single women in Guatemala, and many of the women are also indigenous,” Parys said. “Guatemala is a really unique country in the fact that 42 percent of their population is Mayan, and many of the people who are from the Mayan communities still tend to be quite marginalized in society.”
Ruth Hammer, project co-lead and a Whitewater graduate student, was first introduced to ProChapina through Parys. Hammer and Faith Jones, project co-lead, work with partners in Guatemala to discuss progress and updates and lead marketing and fundraising initiatives.
Hammer and Jones traveled to Guatemala with other UW-W students last summer to visit the ProChapina office and the women entrepreneurs.
“My favorite experience was talking with the women of ProChapina,” Hammer said. “Hearing their stories and seeing their dedication to supporting their families was inspiring.”
ProChapina has become more than an extracurricular, but a passion for Hammer and Jones.
“We are truly humbled to continue to work to support ProChapina to become a self-sustaining business,” Hammer said.
UW-W business administration management senior Kylie Bilello, who was also on the trip last summer, was first introduced to ProChapina through the American Marketing Association’s social impact division during her freshman year.
Bilello has grown both personally and professionally through working firsthand with the women of Guatemala.
“I was able to help rebuild the roof of a mother and daughter’s home. They were living in a house with a leaky roof, and we were able to buy new materials and assist in the rebuild,” Bilello said. “I felt a genuine connection with the family and left with a profound sense of fulfillment.”
Biello, Hammer and Jones were also able to experience the culture and sights of Guatemala. A trip favorite was a hike up a volcano, Pacaya.
“At around 6,000 feet, the views of Guatemala were absolutely breathtaking. Reaching the top of the volcano was incredible, and we even roasted marshmallows using the lava from the volcano. It was such a unique and surreal experience.”
To get involved with ProChapina, visit www.prochapina.org for more information or to donate. To purchase a worry doll or other handmade goods, contact the Enactus or AMA student organizations.
