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Empowering the Indigenous Communities of Chile
SKILLS and the Indigenous People of Chile There are ten distinct indigenous groups in Chile, and their people make up roughly 10% of the Chilean population. However, Chile is the only Latin American country that does not acknowledge or represent Indigenous people and their rights in its constitution. Art is an enormous part of life…
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Why Buying Local Really Does Pay
We often see signs in our communities imploring us to “buy local.” And we all can agree that it’s generally a good thing to support the local businesses in our towns and cities. But what are the real benefits of buying local versus buying from big chains—especially since local goods tend to come at a…
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What is Microfinance, and Why Do We Use It?
At the heart of our SKImfi program—where we provide women entrepreneurs in Chile and Zimbabwe with small loans to start or grow their businesses—is microfinance. Microfinance, “is basically a bank for people who have very little to no income, probably no collateral, definitely not a formal job, maybe not even an informal job,” explains our…
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Our Founder on the Importance of Teamwork, Leaving Your Comfort Zone and Making an Impact
What does it take to be a leader? To run an impactful charity organization? What are the challenges that comes with the entrepreneurial life? These are questions that our founder, Shyam K. Iyer, has grappled with firsthand—and recently, he’s shared his experience with a number of publications and media outlets. We’ve rounded up all the…
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8 New Year’s Resolutions for Entrepreneurs
Here at SKI Charities, we empower women in Chile and Zimbabwe with the tools they need to be successful entrepreneurs. This isn’t just the microloans we provide, it’s also extensive training and guidance on things like budgeting, inventory management and more. Being an entrepreneur means continually learning and growing. Here are some resolutions for entrepreneurs…
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How to Keep Students Engaged Over the Holiday Break
At SKI Charities, we believe that education doesn’t stop when students leave school—that’s why when selecting our scholarship recipients, we take into consideration the support that these scholars will receive from their families at home. And while the end-of-year holiday school break should be a time where kids can have fun, spend time with family…
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How SKIC Finds Talent
“Everyone has talent, but not everyone is given the opportunity to take advantage of it,” says SKIC founder, Shyam K. Iyer. Though SKIC chooses participants selectively, beneficiaries end up being role models for their friends, families and communities at large. We caught up with Shyam to hear about how important talent is to SKIC, and…
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Why It’s Important for Women to Build Resilience—and How We’re Helping
In the midst of a global pandemic and the resulting economic crisis, it is more important than ever to support economically disenfranchised women and empower them to build resilience. COVID-19 has laid bare the global inequities that marginalized people face transnationally. And we know that on the whole, women tend to be disproportionately harmed and…
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How SKI Charities Got Its Name
Since its beginnings in October 2010, SKI Charities has developed an impressive array of programs in two operating sites: Lebu, Chile and Mutare, Zimbabwe. Despite facing uncertainties and criticism—both internal and external—the organization’s founder, Shyam K. Iyer, felt inspired to see his project to fruition. Shyam sat down to talk with us about how the…
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5 Ways Schools Can Better Support Single Parents & Their Kids
Here at SKI Charities, we provide scholarships to young girls in Mutare, Zimbabwe, to ensure they can receive the education they deserve. Recently, we’ve shifted to focusing primarily on scholars from single-family homes, who face particular challenges when it comes to receiving a quality education. Just like children depend on their parents to support their…