Thalamus: The Migrant Store

Social enterprise

Online store that channels remittances from migrants in the USA into products that change and improve lives in Guatemala in a measurable way.

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Target populations:

Women

Men

Girls

Boys

Indigenous peoples

Focus areas:

Children at risk

Family

Immigration

Microfinance

Water and sanitation

Key service areas:

Quiché

Organizational contacts & locations

Contacts

Fernando Grajeda Muñoz

General Manager

(+5) 695 817-1707

fer@soythalamus.com

Fernando Grajeda Minera

Legal representative

(+502) 5525-3466

fgrajeda@grajedahermanos.com

RIcardo Ibarra

Development manager

(+502) 4641-2620

ricardo@soythalamus.com

Locations

3a calle 10-29

Zone 1

Guatemala City

Guatemala

01001

Mission, vision & values

Mission

Thalamus is the migrant's digital store that helps improve the quality of life of people in Guatemala and that focuses (in a first phase) on critical aspects such as:

Access to drinking water in collaboration with Ecofiltro (50% of the people do not have access);
Child malnutrition in collaboration with Listo Guatemala (we are the second country with the worst rate of child malnutrition in Latin America);
Strengthen sanitation tools in collaboration with the Casa Grande Hardware Store in Quiché (1.2 million homes in Guatemala do not have a sanitary tax)

Vision

We consider it very difficult to expect Guatemalan brothers and sisters who already live in the United States to return to the country (voluntarily). However, the Thalamus team is convinced that by helping the Guardian Angels (migrants in the USA) to ensure that the remittances they send can be channeled into products that improve people's quality of life in a measurable way, it will support the reduction of forced migration. Thalamus' strategy is aligned with the Call to Action Plan led by the Vice President of the United States - Kamala Harris.

Values

We value financial and digital inclusion

measurable life improvement

and technology for wellness.

Products, services, and programs

Products

We work with the following products: Ecofiltro, Nutri Listo, Sanitarios y Lavamanos, Biodigestor, Tinaco, y Tasa Abonera.

Services

We offer the option of microcredits for products over $150 to people from the United States and Guatemala who demonstrate ability to pay with their remittance receipts sent (for people in the USA) and remittance received (for people in Guatemala).

Organizational detail

Founded

2021

Number of employees

0-10

Funding

Private Scholarships

Primary issue(s) / need(s) addressed

Thalamus is the migrant's digital store that helps improve the quality of life of people in Guatemala and that focuses (in a first phase) on critical aspects such as:

Access to drinking water in collaboration with Ecofiltro (50% of the people do not have access);
Child malnutrition in collaboration with Listo Guatemala (we are the second country with the worst rate of child malnutrition in Latin America); and
Strengthen sanitation tools in collaboration with the Casa Grande Hardware Store in Quiché (1.2 million homes in Guatemala do not have a sanitary tax).

Impact, adaptations & objectives

Impact to date

We launched in 2021.

Impact measuring

The social impact is measured by the number of new Ecofiltros sold, the number of monthly Nutri LIsto packs that we sell, the number of toilets, sinks, biodigesters and water tanks that we sell.

From the digital inclusion part, we measure the number of new and active users on a monthly basis. Finally, for financial inclusion, the number of microcredits requested vs. granted, number of people who are granted microcredits who are not banked in the USA and Guatemala

Organizational adaptations

Key offerings

Organizational adaptation details

Key offerings

We went from carrying out a pilot focused only on microcredits to creating a store with a variety of products and with different payment mechanisms that are not only microcredits.

Short term objectives

Growth

2000 users on the platform.

Quality

5% claims of total deliveries in relation to the customer experience.

Impact

Sale of 1000 Ecofiltros, 2000 Nutri Listo packs, 500 toilet units, 100 microcredits delivered to people outside of the banking system.

Long term objectives

Growth

10,000 users on the platform.

Quality

2% claims of total deliveries in relation to the customer experience.

Impact

Sale of 10,000 Ecofiltros, 20,000 Nutri Ready packs, 5,000 toilet units, 1,000 microcredits delivered to people outside of the banking system.

Profile updated: 01/05/23

Thalamus: The Migrant Store