CESO | SACO: Stronger Economies. Better Lives.

CESO has been promoting the development of small and medium sized businesses and strengthening government institutions and private sector associations in Latin America and the Caribbean for more than 35 years throughout approximately 39 countries in the region. Please click on Where we work for a complete list of countries in all regions where CESO has assisted organizations, businesses and communities over the course of our more than 45 year history.

We are currently working in Bolivia, Colombia, Guyana, Jamaica, Peru, Haiti and Honduras and Suriname.

Bolivia

Since 1982 CESO has completed more than 1,400 assignments in Bolivia, working with municipal governments, chambers of commerce and small manufacturers providing assistance in governance, management and administration, manufacturing, sales and marketing. Some of our achievements include:

• One of the most prestigious agricultural research institutions in Bolivia improved and optimized the mass production of a particular fungi used in the production of bio-pesticides, a key input for local farmers.
• A llama and alpaca wool producers association in the highlands of Bolivia, through advice and training by a CESO volunteer, began the process of Fair Trade certification for their wool and hand-made products such as scarves, gloves and hats.
• The largest municipal government in the country is launching an unprecented mass transportation operation and has benefitted from training by a CESO volunteer in mass transit planning.

• An association of beekeepers is now manufacturing propolis extract, wax-based creams, shampoos, lipstick as well as pollen and marketing their products with great success.
• A group of small and medium sized audiovisual companies developed expertise in market analysis and strategies with the assistance of a CESO volunteer, and is entering international markets.
• A group of tour operators, convention centres, tourism bureaus and tourism advisory teams formed an association that allowed them to better capture the increasing demand for tourism services in Colombia.

• In a new studio space and with the help of a CESO volunteer, a group of ceramists/potters is producing and selling high-quality ceramic objects after building four permanent low-tech kilns relying entirely or, in part, on recycled materials.
• An ice-cream manufacturer reduced production costs and improved the quality of their ice cream, which resulted in an increase of 19% in their sales.
• A not-for-profit organization set up new accounting and auditing systems and their staff was trained to prepare financial statements, which will support their efforts in fundraising.

• An environmental evaluation of the Cordillera del Merendón in San Pedro Sula was conducted and an educational campaign was organized to preserve this area for future generations. Three important basins at the Cordillera are responsible for water in the city of San Pedro Sula.
• New designs for a furniture factory resulted in significant improvement in the quality and consistency of their products. They were able to increase the number of sub-contractors from four to 12, and double their sales.
• A sheep-rearing program for subsistence farmers dramatically increased the number of communities served providing them with healthy, disease-free stock as well as adapting local grasses for feed.

CESO’s work in Latin America and the Caribbean is being carried out through long term collaboration with local program partners.

Project undertaken with the financial support of the Government of Canada provided through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).

Consortium for Haiti: improving governance, education and economic development