El Salvador

Lily Pacas is an entrepreneur in the coffee business and a fifth-generation coffee producer in El Salvador. Read about her experience growing up in a coffee-growing family, how those experiences led to a career in civil service, and her hopes for women in coffee.

Explore Claudia "La Vaquerita" Alvarado's story in El Salvador, where her recycling initiative fuels the local circular economy, improving solid waste management issues and promoting job creation. Through La Vaquerita, Claudia increases environmental sustainability and provides employment, an important combination for economic growth.

Discover the journey of Gabi Garcia, the manager at Cochecito, a baby clothing boutique in San Salvador. Her experience highlights how small businesses are a lifeline for many young Salvadorians facing limited job opportunities. Through a TechnoServe program creating youth opportunities, small businesses like Cochecito are creating jobs, strengthening communities, and ensuring a brighter future for youth and women in El Salvador.

Rising temperatures, droughts, and extreme weather events are threatening coffee production in El Salvador and around the world. Meet a coffee farmer who used the skills he gained in a TechnoServe program to create change and inspire the next generation of climate advocates.

Hear from a few members of TechnoServe's Gender Champions Network as they discuss the progress they’ve seen in women’s economic empowerment in their respective regions and what work from TechnoServe they’re most excited about.

In Central America, the number of young people entering the job market outpaces the availability of jobs. But many young people lack the skills they need to find or create economic opportunities, leading them to seek a better future elsewhere. How can thriving small and growing businesses reverse this trend?