The Starbucks Foundation and Save the Children join forces to uplift women in Puebla

Through an Origin Grant from The Starbucks Foundation, Save the Children launches “The Power in Me” program to create economic opportunities and promote resilience for 1,500 women in Puebla's coffee-growing communities through financial and digital literacy skills, entrepreneurship training, and support for women-owned businesses.

Mexico City – In recognition of International Women's Day, The Starbucks Foundation – together with Save the Children – today celebrates the launch of an economic empowerment program for indigenous women in Puebla, Mexico. The program, locally known as The Power in Me (“El Poder que hay en Mí”) and funded through an Origin Grant from The Starbucks Foundation, will create economic opportunities and promote resilience for 1,500 women in Puebla’s coffee growing communities. During the 24-month program, women in Puebla will benefit from financial and digital literacy courses, entrepreneurship training, and support for women-owned businesses to start, grow and succeed.

“Last year, The Starbucks Foundation announced a new goal to positively impact 1 million women and girls in coffee-, tea- and cocoa-growing communities by 2030, and we are excited to see this come to life in Mexico with the launch of The Power in Me program in Puebla. We are proud to have a strong coffee growing tradition in Mexico and believe that uplifting women is of paramount importance to helping our local communities grow,” said Francisco Tosso, CEO of Starbucks in Mexico, which is managed by licensed retail operator Alsea.

“To create a sustainable future of coffee for all, we must care for the well-being of the farmers and communities that grow coffee, tea and cocoa around the world and when we invest in women, we are also investing in her community,” added Michelle Burns, Starbucks executive vice president of Global Coffee, Social Impact and Sustainability and board member of The Starbucks Foundation.

With support from the Origin Grant, Save the Children will work with women from Cuetzalan del Progreso, Huauchinango, Huitzilan de Serdán, Xicotepec and Zongozotla de Juárez to develop socio-emotional skills, financial education and digital skills and apply them to their own businesses. Through a community-based approach, Save the Children will engage local community members to identify opportunities and co-design the program, to ensure the plan considers local context and cultural traditions. By helping to reduce economic and digital access gaps, participating women will have a significantly higher likelihood of breaking the cycle of poverty, helping to build resilience for participants, their families and the community as a whole.

“Women are an engine of change who deserve greater opportunities,” shared Maripina Menéndez, CEO of Save the Children in Mexico. “Save the Children believes success is when women are recognized in the community for their role in economic development, acquire the necessary skills to run successful businesses and have sufficiently strong support networks to draw on. We are proud to help provide training and market connections that will enable women in Puebla’s coffee-growing communities to pursue economic opportunities and recognize the power within themselves. The empowerment of women brings benefits to communities, reduces the cycles of poverty that affect present and future generations, and achieves more favorable environments for children and youth. That is why at Save the Children we promote transformative and gender-sensitive programs to contribute to a more equitable and just society.”

Starbucks has a long history of working with coffee and tea origin communities to address their most critical needs. The Starbucks Foundation Origin Grants make a difference in the lives of women, their families and their communities through programs that promote women’s leadership, create economic opportunities and expand access to clean water and sanitation (WASH) for women and girls across Africa, Asia and Latin America. The grant to Save the Children is one of the grants announced this International Women’s Day 2023, as part of The Starbucks Foundation’s progress towards its goal to positively uplift 1 million women and girls in coffee, tea and cocoa-growing communities around the world by 2030. The project in Puebla is The Starbucks Foundation’s first focused on women and girls in Mexico’s origin communities.

To learn more about The Starbucks Foundation’s Origin Grants program, visit: https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/the-starbucks-foundation/