Mayan Women, Guatemala

We are proud to announce FWM’s new partnership with several indigenous women’s cooperatives in Guatemala. Our goal is to help create new products, increase their market and help promote their self development within Guatemala.

In August, 2008, we established working relationships with Mayan women's cooperatives in the highlands.

On returning this last June, we discovered that the Chumanzana Group has become inspired with an entrepreneurial spirit in hopes of improving their lives. Because they now have a small outlet to the outside world for their weaving, they have begun to dream. Their dream is now to open a store in their village that sells thread to both their local community and those close by. Though all women are weavers, they must travel a long distance to find thread because their village is remotely located.

This summer we helped them begin to think through this process, to collect information they need and to connect them with a local NGO that is helping them with the legal aspects of their business. Our goal is now to help them apply for any grants we can find to help them purchase stock and display cabinets. If any of you know of grants we can assist them with, please let us know.

This is what Fair Trade can do: a little bit of hope can spark dreams of change.

This summer we were also asked to meet with a new group of around twenty women in Chimaltenango, Guatemala, all of whom were displaced, orphaned or widowed during the decades of war. They have appropriately named their group "Corazon de Mujer" (Women's Heart/Soul), since their goal has been to support each other emotionally, financially and in every other way. These are strong women, all of whom have seen a parent, child or other family member killed (unfortunately a common experience among the rural Maya people) but who have persevered and are motivated to improve their lives. We are the second Fair Trade group actively working with them and hope to help them expand their products and market.

Custom order products from these very talented women. Ask us how.

TAKARE, Kigoma, Tanzania

In 2008, we formed a partnership with the community development outreach arm (TAKARE) of The Jane Goodall Institute in Kigoma, Tanzania.

Tanzania is located on the east coast of the African continent. Africa is the poorest continent in the world. The U.N. counts Tanzania as one of the ten least developed countries in Africa.

• One of the least developed nations in the world, ranked 154 of 174 nations by the UN in development
• 64% of the population is rural
• 70% of the population lives on less than $2/day, mostly in rural areas
• The average income is $350 year (World Bank 2006)

Health:

• 64% of HIV infections are in Sub-Sahara Africa where only 11% of the world population live
• Tanzania is rated among the top 10 for highest infection rate with almost 5% of the population infected.
• Tanzania has the second highest orphan rate due to HIV infection
• Over 40% rural population is still without access to an improved water source (Globalis)
• 28% of children under 5 yrs are protein deficient
• 32% children under 5 suffer from anemia.
• Protein deficiency is prevalent
• Over 16 million people are undernourished generally (over 40%)

Kigoma:
The Jane Goodall Institute is located on the western border of Tanzania in Kigoma a port town on Lake Tanganyika which also borders the Congo and Burundi. Kigoma serves as the capitol for the Kigoma Region which has a population of 130,000 people. Roads are poor. Access to Kigoma is by plane or by train from Dadoma. The Kigoma region has been the point of entry for thousands of Congolese and Burundi refugees, almost doubling the population in the early 1990’s. Recently, though, more than half of the refugees have been repatriated.

Village Artisans
Our partnership involves

• Entering into a long term partnership with the women in village community groups organized by JGI TAKARE
• Working with them to develop products marketable in the US using their skills in palm leaf/grass weaving, embroidery and crochet
• Providing training in skills for new products
• Helping them access international markets for their products
• Goal: A livable/fair wage for products made from renewable resources

Roots & Shoots:
Because many refugees suffer from malnutrition and protein deprivation, we want to also support the JGI's Roots & Shoots project within the Lugufu refugee center directed by Shadrach Meshach.

Among other things, this project works to hatch hens for distribution within the camp for both eggs and meat. Each family unit receiving a hen, then also redistributes any hatchlings.