En Via is an interest-free microfinance program supporting and empowering women and communities in the Oaxaca Valley. The organization runs weekly tours into the communities, allowing visitors to meet with the organization’s borrowers to learn about their loans and project plans, and offer support for their success. The tours also provide a special glimpse of life in Oaxaca; tour participants learn about different artisanal trades, traditional foods, and local economies, all while supporting the local community through the tour fee.
En Via’s goal is to facilitate a cultural exchange and deeper understanding of the particular ways of life and traditions of Oaxaca, while introducing people to the power of microfinance and the importance of financial inclusion and education. Microfinance is a tool that has been used very effectively around the world to help people without access to traditional financial services lift themselves out of poverty.
Through our tours, participants meet an inspiring group of hard-working, optimistic, and problem-solving women who create their own successes through their skills and tenacity. Participants experience a more personal window into local life than ordinary tourism permits. Going on a tour allows visitors to gain not only a better understanding of the challenges of life in Oaxaca—in the second poorest state of Mexico—but to also help to provide a viable path out of poverty.
Tours run:
Wednesdays 1 pm–7 p.m. (January and February only)
Thursdays 1 pm–7 p.m.
Saturdays 9 am–4 p.m.
Hours
En Via’s office is open Mon-Fri