Walmart de México Foundation and allies will provide training for 25,000 Mexican women to start up a business

• Partner organizations are: World Vision Mexico, ProEmpleo, Fonabec, Bécalos and Grupo Acir
• Those interested can apply for entrepreneurial or educational training, from August 10 - 31st
• Those interested should go to their nearest Walmart, Bodega Aurrera, Bodega Aurrera Express or Superama unit, anywhere in the country, to get their registration number.

Mexico City, Aug. 9, 2012 - The Walmart de México Foundation announced their initiative, Women Can Rely on Us, which will provide training courses for 25,000 women wishing to create their own business, improve existing businesses, receive their secondary education with a technical degree or attend a technological university.

The Walmart de México Foundation is partnering in the project with World Vision Mexico, ProEmpleo and Fonabec who will provide the training and support for course development, and the Acir Foundation, who will donate air time to promote participation.

“Each day we hear of cases of women, many of them single mothers, who want to set up their own business or improve their existing business, but don’t know how to go about it. Women Can Rely on Us aims to help 25,000 women so they can have the necessary tools to increase their income, improve their quality of life and guarantee food on the table; which is one of the primary objectives of the Walmart de México Foundation. We are proud to partner in this project with organizations such as Visión Mundial Mexico, Bécalos, ProEmpleo and Acir Foundation, who share our desire to help thousands of women improve their situation in life,” stated Antonio Ocaranza, Director de Corporate Communication for Walmart de México y Centroamérica.

Women Can Rely on Us includes several programs. The broadest program provides 24,438 training courses to be offered nationwide by World Vision Mexico, the ProEmpleo Foundation in Mexico City and the State of Mexico. Secondly, through Bécalos, support will be given to 475 women so they can receive technical degrees in technological universities. Through Fonabec, 87 women may also complete their secondary education with a technical diploma offered by CONALEP –The National School of Technical Professional Education. All this support will be funded or donated through the Walmart de México Foundation.

Finally, the Acir Foundation will also donate air time to invite women to participate and discuss subjects of interest to them such as entrepreneurship, training, personal growth, and gender equality, among others.

Those women wishing to apply for these programs may request an application number from Customer Service in any Bodega Aurrera, Bodega Aurrera Express, Superama or Walmart unit, nationwide. The registration process is then completed by phone: 01-800-366-2232, or via internet: www.cuentasconnosotros.mx

The results for the 25,000 women who meet the requirements and are selected will be published as of September 17th.

According to data from INEGI – the Mexican Institute of Statistics and Geography- during the first quarter of 2012, 880,000 economically active women were unemployed, and 30.4 percent of women who work are part of the informal sector. With the help of this program, the Walmart de México Foundation and their partner organizations seek to assist 25,000 women in improving their quality of life. All they need is to apply.

Types of Support

We contribute towards improving the quality of life for families in Mexico and Central America

Walmart de México y Centroamérica is a company of the retail sector whose vision is contributing towards improving the quality of life for families in Mexico and Central America. It serves 5 million customers in six countries where it operates: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and Nicaragua. It has a wide array of business formats including discount self-service stores (Bodega Aurrera Express, Despensa Familiar and Pali), supermarkets (Superama, Supertienda Paiz, La Despensa de Don Juan, La Unión and Masxmenos), warehouses (Bodega Aurrera, Mi Bodega Aurrerá y Maxi Bodega), hypermarts (Walmart), membership warehouse clubs (Sam´s Club and ClubCo), apparel stores (Suburbia) and restaurants (Vips, el Portón and Ragazzi) that amounted 2,825 units at August 7, 2012. In 2011 Walmart de México y Centroamérica reported sales over 379 billion pesos. http://www.walmartmexico.com.mx. Facebook (Walmart de México y Centroamérica) and Twitter (@WalmartMXyCAM).

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