Meet One of Our Sisters- Elvia Chiché!

Elvia Chiché, 20 years old from Llanos del Pinal, is the Production Assistant and Manager of Pixan's workshop inside of the AMA house in Xela.

For Elvia's whole life she has helped her mother care for her 7 siblings, while always dreaming of being able to go to school. Since her parents were never able to afford the school fees, she decided at a young age that she wanted to start working to be able to support herself and her family. Elvia's sister, an AMA women's circle member, had work cleaning HSP's volunteer house and AMA's offices and in February 2014 passed on her job to Elvia when she became pregnant.

Immediately after getting hired to clean, Elvia became fascinated with the process that goes on in the production workshop. She was interested in how to cut and sew, but the industrial machines intimidated her. "I wanted to learn, but everything I made turned out ugly and crooked. Eventually, after trying many times I was so proud when I made my first bag", she said. Elvia started feverishly finishing her cleaning duties early every day so she could have time to learn new skills.

"Dilma, who was my mentor, told me something that stuck with me: to want to do something is to be able to do something. I was thrilled that my hard work paid off when, in January of 2015, I was promoted to manage the Pixan workshop." Elvia said that without knowing as much as she knows now, she felt like she was diving into deep water headfirst by being hired to the Pixan team.

When asked what her favorite thing is about her progression over the years from maintenance work to managing the workshop she said, "What I have loved most is discovering a part of myself that I didn't know existed and achieving things that I didn't think I could. I like the freedom to be able to use my imagination to create new items and play with the colors and patterns to find good combinations. I also love collaborating with my team, without a team nothing is possible. I enjoy joking around with the other seamstresses in a happy environment. I am also very thankful to have the opportunity to improve my computer skills, something I never knew how to do before. I know now that if I set my mind to it , I can accomplish anything."

The Highland Support Project is dedicated to assisting indigenous women to become professionals so that they can compete in a globalized world. Stay tuned for more stories about our Sister Bee, our Sisterhood focused on empowerment through mutual support and training for professional development.

HSP's 2015 Annual Report

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Escaping the Poverty Trap: Alternatives Direct Trade Model

“We define poverty as the inability to access opportunity. One aspect of the invasion and colonization of our lands has been our loss of access to markets. For centuries before the arrival of Europeans,  the indigenous peoples of the Americas engaged in long distance trading networks that sustained the lives of large civilizations. Since then, we have been kept in positions of servitude by colonial models that expropriate our labor and resources for foreign markets leaving little wealth behind. ” —Guadalupe Ramirez

In an increasingly globalized world, we have the ability to connect across class, geographic, and linguistic borders to bring opportunity to communities marginalized by centuries of colonial relationships. While the fair trade model has some potential for temporarily alleviating the effects of poverty, we believe that if care is not taken, it will perpetuate rather than resolve the underlying causes of poverty. We are advocating for a refined model of direct trade to dismantle the social structure of poverty at its core. Our AlterNatives trade model seeks to create networks of exchange that foster entrepreneurship and ownership for indigenous women rather than relegating them to a perpetual state of dependance as wage earners.

Since the term fair trade was first used in English over three centuries ago, the meaning has evolved over time. E.P. Thomson described how 18th century authorities in England imposed some limits on the free operations of the market with “notions of common well being.” Though, at this time, it was more concerned with consumer rights and ensuring the poor had access to food rather than being producer focused. A more modern characteristic shared with many proponents of the direct trade movement is concern over the role of middlemen whose actions are often considered legally suspect.¹

In the United States, the notion of economic justice in trading relations was developed as early as 1827 by members of the Free Produce Society, which was an organization founded by abolitionist as a means of challenging slavery.² A significant issue that doomed the growth of the society was the challenge of competing in the open market with slave production.

After WWII, the Mennonite Central Committee and SERRV international of the Brethren Church began developing fair trade supply chains from developing countries to support their relief and missionary efforts.

Then, in the 1960’s the term “alternative trade organizations” became popular to describe efforts to address economic injustice through consumer education and innovative models. Heavily influenced by Keynesian economics, the movement sought to give fair and equal access to markets.³

During the later part of the 20th century, alternative trade was again renewed with passion in the social justice movement as a means to find markets for products from countries that were excluded by conservative political forces. Many activists sold Nicaraguan coffee through churches or assisted Maya political refugees with the sales of handicrafts in colleges and festivals.

A common theme throughout the movement has been a commitment to assisting producers to gain greater access to markets and an intentional effort to reduce the role of the intermediaries.

Typically, developing world producers are limited to tourism markets for higher dollar exchanges. This presents a number of issues including unfavorable conditions of supply and demand. Generally, there are many more producers than consumers, meaning the prices will be low, sometimes even below production cost. Another factor of considerable impact is the cost for producers to gain access to these markets. In Guatemala, the tourist destination of Antigua is as distant and expensive for a rural producer as a flight to the United States. Many tourist locations impose restrictions that exclude the very producers from access to these markets. This creates a class of intermediaries with the ability to monopolize opportunities.⁴

Over the last decade, the term “fair trade” has taken on new meanings as its popularity has grown in the United States. No longer does the term imply assisting developing world producers to gain access to markets; rather, today it is applied increasingly to exporters and intermediaries meeting vague, subjective, and unverified codes of ethics.

As the term fair trade becomes more fashionable, alternative trade organizations seeking to correct the underlying power imbalances that are the cause of poverty face competition with actors who have transformed the meaning of the term to fit neoliberal sensibilities and colonial assumptions.⁵

Increasingly, the term refers to fair and humane working conditions for wage laborers who have little to no direct participation in decision making concerning production or share of profits. Akin to greenwashing, this practice of labeling conventional products with marketing terms aims merely to influence consumers into thinking the product is healthy or organic. As an organization that has supported weaving groups for over twenty years including a current project with over 150 weavers, we have witnessed a significant shift in the motivations, assumptions, and demands of design entrepreneurs and intermediaries.

Developing world producers face many obstacles to competing on a level playing field. Besides restrictions on movement, lack of access to capital, unfavorable political conditions that often limit their participation, these producers are now also being displaced by the very movement that was intended to empower them.

A decade ago we had the opportunity to participate in high level government economic planning sessions held through the Guatemalan government with support of USAID.⁶  In these meetings, the next twenty years of development were being planned and the labor of Guatemalan indigenous women was identified as one of the primary resources of the country.

Fair Trade is of growing interest to Wall Street and Midtown because artisan producers represent a great pool of unorganized labor. There are no labor standards, unions or government protection because the majority of artisans are independent contractors, most of whom are obligated to provide their own means of production as well as materials for the pleasure of having a job. In an age of outsourcing and competitive labor pricing, there is no need for the bad press of a sweatshop. Hire rural peasant women and call your job training entrepreneurship and women’s empowerment.

A question that is often asked by students of International Aid is, are these effects a conspiracy  or a mistake? During a period at the beginning of the century, it appeared that fair trade might actually assist native producers to obtain new levels of wealth and opportunity. Then the AID industry became involved with its politically connected players and public funded agencies that began to direct and shape the movement for the benefit of retailers and distributors and away from producers. In Guatemala, USAID funded the development of the Alternative Exporters Association AGEXPORT. This agency received funding to support the growth of artisan and other non-traditional exports. Rather than funding producers to gain access to markets, USAID funded programs that positioned members of the oligarchy⁷ to monopolize on growing opportunities and to vertically organize supply chains under their management. In this way, government policies moved to counter the liberating impact of fair trade and ensure that colonial power relationships were maintained.

Today, foundations like the Clinton, Ford, and Gates Foundations, are heavily involved in the funding of supply chain integration. The primary issue is that rather than supporting developing world grassroots producers to gain access to markets, these programs predominantly benefit Northern intermediaries and contract professionals to consolidate and improve production.  For producers, the glut of subsidized production frequently lowers prices and results in further consolidation, land loss, and wage devaluation.

Further complicating the issue, a wave of young people from the global north applied the term fair trade to selling anything made by a person from the developing world. When a person from the global north, usually well-intentioned, comes to work in the fair trade textile industry, they already have access to capital, and have marketing skills such as knowledge of photography, web design, and social media far greater than indigenous producers. Rather than assist producers with these advantages, they retain the benefits of price markups through relations that mirror conventional trade relations rather than transform them.

Selling a native design or their poverty without helping the community break those cycles of poverty is simply cultural appropriation. Livable wage or not, these producers are still relegated to a dependent status on those in control of marketing of their products.

While consumers are able to compare the taste or quality of construction of an item, it is very hard to evaluate the economic and social models of production and distribution. We believe that highlighting the importance of direct trade is crucial for globalization to deliver its potential benefits to those who have been denied them for so long.

The advent of the internet may offer the best opportunity to not only raise awareness about these issues but also to facilitate direct trade with producers and truly eliminate the role of the intermediary.

The AlterNatives Approach: Creating Opportunity not Dependency

AlterNatives is a social enterprise formed by the Highland Support Project in 1994 with the mission of providing direct market access to native producers. For over two decades, AlterNatives has innovated models to harness the power of the market to foster artisan empowerment, education and entrepreneurship.

HSP’s vision and methodology are shaped by the cooperative model of economic and social development. A cooperative exists to assist its members to succeed. Often confused with terms like collective and commune, a cooperative is a market oriented enterprise that seeks to improve wealth, income and quality of life for its members. Cooperatives are very similar to corporations with one slight semantic difference. A cooperative functions to assist members to make/save money where as a investors (members) of a corporation derive benefit from the development of the corporation. A simple example: A farmer’s cooperative will purchase a tractor to assist the independent members to increase productivity, and then the members may sell or not sell through the cooperative and retain the profits of their work. They pool their funds to purchase and cover a capital cost that would be too great for any single farmer to purchase and maintain. While in contrast a corporation will purchase a tractor and may hire farmers as labor for the production of wealth that is shared by investors, many of whom are not involved in production or sales. These investors benefit from productivity of the corporation and not themselves.

AlterNatives is embracing a growing movement identified as BCorps or benevolent corporations. When an organization is incorporated under state law for market activities, it has a fiduciary responsibility to maximize profits of its shareholders. Management may be sued if policies concerning workers rights or the environment are viewed as interfering with the maximization of profits. In the neoliberal climate, forward thinking business managers have to move with caution.⁸

AlterNatives functions as part of and in support of an organizational ecosystem established to assist indigenous communities remain on their land, in their community, and with their culture.

The Association of Highland Women (AMA) is an empowerment program that fosters the growth of women’s circles. These circles are an organizational nuclei for the delivery of behavioral health, education and development programming.

As an alternative trade organization,⁹ AlterNatives engages in more than serving as a marketing tool for Indigenous produced and traded products. AlterNatives supports the creation of social capital by partnering with HSP to provide artisan training, social service programming, and forming networks. Over the last decade, numerous workshops have been offered to artisans concerning marketing, production techniques, quality control, and design.

A goal of our partnership this year is to strengthen the networking of Indigenous producers through a campaign to promote cooperation and not competition.¹⁰ The goal of the campaign is to raise solidarity amongst grassroots producers and strengthen networks to achieve greater scale in purchasing supplies and reduce marketing cost. A few of the objectives are to share cost for international trade shows, support direct trade through online trading platforms, and coordinate for continued skills development.

The greatest challenge is bringing justice to a globalized market. This is where the traditions and knowledge of native people are of such service to humanity. Markets are not abstract mathematical equations, they are relationships between human beings trying to meet their needs and improve their lives. Native economics have long considered the importance of the common good as well as the environment.¹¹

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1. Fridell, Gavin (2003). Fair Trade and the International Moral Economy: Within and Against the Market. CERLAC Working Paper Series.
2. Newman, Richard S. Freedom's Prophet: Bishop Richard Allen, the AME Church, and the Black Founding Fathers, NYU Press, 2008, p. 266. ISBN 0-8147-5826-6
3. Newman, Richard S. Freedom's Prophet: Bishop Richard Allen, the AME Church, and the Black Founding Fathers, NYU Press, 2008, p. 266. ISBN 0-8147-5826-6
4. Marketing Intermediaries can include re-sellers, physical distribution firms, marketing services agencies and financial intermediaries. These are the people or steps between a producer and final consumer. For many engaged in alternative trade, the entire purpose of the activity is to minimize the role of intermediaries and the critique of “fair trade” as practiced today is that many are using the language of fair trade to sanitize the role of the intermediary and maintain lower cost for retailers and consumers while not developing opportunity for growth or market access for producers.
5. Neoliberalism is an economic term referring to ideas associated with laissez-faire economics. Its advocates today support deregulation, fiscal austerity, privatization, free trade, and a minimal role for governments. -Colonial assumptions: Colonialism is the acquisition of the colonist, by brute force, of extra markets, extra resources of raw material and manpower from the colonies. An area of Postcolonial Studies is the continued existence of the philosophers, ideologies,  justifications and prejudices that allowed colonists to convince themselves of their own high moral value while committing atrocities against native people. While in the 15th century, Europeans were bringing civilization and God to heathens, today neoliberal proponents are providing jobs, improving efficiency, and ordering the world according to economic theories that their “priests” have divined from numbers. A significant colonial assumption is the perceived right towards indigenous knowledge, designs and labor with little consideration towards the historical power imbalance that leaves communities unable to defend their basic economic or cultural rights.
6. HSP has sponsored membership for AMA to participate in trade and economic development associations. Frequently the only Indigenous people in the room, members of AMA have obtained a unique opportunity to witness how political power is utilized to maintain economic advantage.  After more than decade, AMA continues to be marginalized from opportunities. In one particular stunning example, a web page containing relevant trade opportunity information was immediately removed when AMA staff telephoned with an enquiry about participation. They were told that the page never existed. The saddest aspect is that it appeared that the staff of the trade association assumed that Indigenous people did not know how to use computers or the internet as many urban Guatemalans were just learning at the time.
7. Luis Reyes is absolutely clear that Guatemala has elite. This is a community of wealthy business people, including the family of Carlos Vielman Montes, former President of the Chamber of Industry. This elite dominates business associations such as CACIF. Other interviewees made similar statements about the existence of an elite, whose wealth, family networks, control of influential business organizations, and social life, set them apart from the rest of society. For example, without any question to prompt him, a former director of the Chamber of Industry referred to families such as Castillo, Novella and Botrán as ‘the power group’, ‘the elite’ and ‘the clan’  (Hugo Ordóñez Porta, interview 12/6/00).  THE WORLDVIEW OF THE OLIGARCHY IN GUATEMALAN POLITICS  Roman Krznaric
8. A dated but excellent article concerning the challenges faced by COSTCO in paying living wages as a public company and why CSR efforts are a challenge in current legal environment.  http://reclaimdemocracy.org/costco_employee_benefits_walmart/
9. We define alternative trade organizations as those that utilize proceeds of sales to assist partner communities transform the conditions of poverty. Beyond fair trade, alternative trade organizations engage in providing social services and developing awareness and support for needed political change.
10. A phenomena of increased foreign NGO activity and traders has been a dramatic increase in competition rather than collaboration.  Competition for funding that not only sustains programs but also salaries has significantly fragmented leadership. Additionally, outside funders decide community leadership through their funding choices most frequently devoid of any local participation or voice.  Therefore many community organizations and producers have developed a culture of competition and secrecy instead of collaboration.
11. Accepting the invisible hand, Chapter 5: Ethics in the Maya Marketplace Ramirez, Blevins, Wight.

How the Pixan Program Supports a Strong Connection to Land, Culture and Community in the Western Highlands of Guatemala

What a Strong Connection to One’s Land, Community and Culture Means

People are happiest in their native lands, communities, and cultures; especially those who are indigenous to their place of origin. Guatemalans are no exception. Unfortunately, like in many places in the world right now, natives are being forced to migrate from rural areas in order to survive. The Highland Support Project organized the Pixan program in order to assist in reversing this trend. Because our partners of Pixan are able to make an income through their weaving while being able to work from home, their quality of life and happiness is significantly increased. With our support, they are able to continue to fortify their relationships with their natural environment, their families, and themselves.

Displacement, loss, and migration are common factors of life in Guatemala.  We see through our work that the internal armed conflict— lasting from 1960 until 1996—has left families and communities dealing with an ongoing pain that is still healing. What is evident in many communities we collaborate with are the effects of post-traumatic stress from this period, and the personal obstacles brought about by an uncertain and violent past. Furthermore, not only did displacement and loss happen during the war, it is still taking place today due to the widespread mega projects of transnational corporations including mineral mining, hydroelectric construction, petroleum plants, and African palm plantations. Many people have to desert their homes and communities because the land is being used for its rich resources, and is then exported for use to a different country. Population growth and unequal distribution of land further exacerbate the problem, making it difficult to support an entire family and have a legitimate salary in rural areas.

A perceptive quote that summarizes the importance of our connection to land while not forgetting why people continue to leave it, is from a book called Agri-culture: Reconnecting People, Land, and Nature, where the author explains, “For most of our history, the daily lives of humans have been played out close to the land. Since our divergence from apes, humans have been hunter-gatherers for 350,000 generations, then mostly agriculturalists for 600, industrialized in some parts of the world for 8 to 10, and lately dependent on industrialized agriculture for just 2 generations. We still have close connections to nature. Yet, many of us in industrialized countries do not have the time to realize it. In developing countries, many are still closely connected, yet are tragically locked into poverty and hunger. A connectedness to place is no kind of desirable life if it brings only a single meal a day, or children unable to attend school for lack of food and books, or options for wage earning that are degrading and soul-destroying” (Pretty 6). Guatemala is just one example of how many rural populations in our world have no choice but to leave their source of happiness and rootedness behind purely for survival.

Women in Guatemala are not traditionally the chief source of income for a family, but often times there is either not a husband present to act as economic support, or his wages simply just aren’t enough. Since opportunity is limited in rural areas, finding income usually means internal migration. If widowed or single, a woman must move with her children (if she is a mother) to a city to find work. However, the work she will find is often in sweatshops or factories working from 6 in the morning to anywhere from 6-11 at night, earning insufficient wages and many times suffering sexual abuse. There are also rising cases of women joining gangs or drug traffickers out of desperation to make a livable income. All of these options not only tear families apart, but also force a woman to leave her land, culture, and community: the three most important factors that are integral to the mental health and happiness of a Guatemalan indigenous woman.

The importance of connection to community stands in sharp contrast with the values of heightened self-interest and materialism. The book “Cultural Anthropology: Tribes, States, and the Global System”, portrays this eloquently: “Beyond food and shelter, the basic necessities for human well-being and optimum health include an individual’s feelings that they are competent to do what is needed, that they are connected to others by kinship and friendship, and that they have personal autonomy, freedom, and self-direction. The satisfaction of all basic needs is presumably linked to individual well-being through the specific motivations and behaviors that lead to need satisfaction. When motivation is culturally operationalized through strongly internalized materialist values for self-interest, competition, high consumption, and economic growth, corresponding values for cooperation, altruism, community, and strong interpersonal relationships may be suppressed, and basic needs may go unmet” (Bodley 520). If someone can never focus on strengthening themselves, their family bonds, and their community involvement, they are bound to feel out of control and greatly insecure in their world. In our experience, it has been apparent that mental health is significantly diminished by these negative circumstances.

How Pixan Works to Support and Keep Connections Strong

After the peace accords in Guatemala were signed in 1996 that ended the conflict, there are many reforms that have still, 19 years later, not been fully realized.  The country continues to struggle with issues on every front: economic inequality, malnutrition, domestic violence, lack of education, and political corruption for just a few examples. A history of colonization and racism toward indigenous people further complicate matters of life, but that is not to say that there are no options for Guatemala! Many people nationally and internationally understand that problems here are deep-rooted, and to truly impact change and begin to better people’s lives there cannot be a metaphorical “band-aid” placed on the issues. We must work to initiate change from the ground up. The methodology of empowerment, education, support and opportunity is the basic framework of AMA’s programs. Our approach supports indigenous women’s lives in many ways that are lifelong and sustainable, and one of those ways is through their employment with Pixan.

Some may wonder how Pixan’s fair-trade weaving initiative differs from other businesses that also carry the fair-trade program label. For example, in the beautiful, tourist-laden lake town of Panajachel it’s possible to find many women either selling their handmade items along the sidewalk or stroll into one of many fair-trade stores. However, Pixan is different: you won’t find the weavers miles away from their communities. The relationship and support offered to weavers by our association is very special. We have two community facilitators; Paola Tzep and Mayra Izara, who carry out visits to the communities where our weavers live to not only distribute supplies for weaving and collect finished products but also to give continuing education. This is where the theme of land, culture, and community as beneficial and necessary factors of life comes into clearer focus. Since our weavers do not have to leave their land to travel to Quetzaltenango, Panajachel, or other large market cities, they have more time to spend at home with their families. It can be extremely stressful to have to leave home every day and not attend to the needs of family members, as well as risk danger traveling alone at night. The cost of commuting daily ends up weighing heavily on a weaver already burdened with a minimal income.  Being able to work from within their home and community spares them the pain of constant, distant travel from rural to urban areas, as well as the potential to have to completely relocate.

As opposed to the common method of a one-time training or consulting appointment with a group that is ready to learn, our model of education is one of “accompaniment,” which means that our education sessions continue over the long-term. Those that are employees of Pixan are also members of AMA’s “Women’s Circles.” These circle meetings, conducted either once weekly or once every 15 days, draw from the methods and practices of our behavioral development program. Not only do we support women in learning new skills that will enhance their professional development as weavers, they are able to participate in various personal development programs of sexual health, adult literacy and self-esteem building. It is a common problem that because of various types of trauma related to displacement from natural disaster, discrimination against the indigenous, and sexism involved in machismo culture, that self-esteem in women is extremely weak. For one to become a participant of Pixan, they must foremost join AMA’s women’s circles that focus on entrepreneurship and behavioral development. The first step towards growth is to develop more self-confidence, self-love, and begin to dissolve fear.

Not only does a Pixan weaver get to be free of her dependency on foreign aid and donations for income, she can develop a strong sense of self-worth in her talents and cultural identity, stepping outside the machismo culture that dictates that man is the only provider or money. Pixan’s work is not just paid wage labor. It is an opportunity for the women themselves to have direct access to market and cut out the “middle-man.” Because the Pixan team works as a connector to national and international markets, the weavers end up getting the profit directly from those markets who are interested in investing in their work. Next, Pixan works to educate women about how international markets work so that they are aware of the entire process of direct-trade, and feel empowered to make proper decisions for themselves. Establishing oneself in the methodology of AMA is a long process, but one that strengthens a human being from the roots of themselves, which is never easy or a “quick-fix.” Over time, results and improvement are seen in those who have put in the effort to develop and grow.

The Story of Espumpuja

Within the Pixan program, there is a very special, very empowered group of women that has been participating in AMA’s women’s circles for 9 years now. Espumpuja is a Maya Mam community northwest of Quetzaltenango that first had smokeless stoves built (one of AMA’s most foundational and important projects) in their community before becoming weavers for Pixan 5 years ago. They all make a substantial and supportive part of their income from their weavings, but it wasn’t always that way. This group participated in AMA’s women’s circles and behavioral health programs for many years before they began weaving training, and before eventually being able to earn a significant income from their finished products. Becoming a weaver for Pixan requires a lot of time dedicated to personal development and improved weaving methods, but ends up being a source of happiness because of its ability to allow highland women to stay in their communities.

In early September of 2015, a group of community facilitators including Mayra, who speaks Mam, paid a visit to Espumpuja not only to pay the group individually for their sales in Pixan, but also to check up on how their improved stoves are working 9 years later. Facilitators took advantage of this visit to conduct a short interview with them and allow anyone to respond or speak about their experiences with AMA and Pixan in a circle. One of the most beautiful things we see in the personal development of our partners is how they become stronger through attending weekly meetings. Most of our newer members start out speaking very little in front of their group, or sometimes not at all, for sustained periods of time. It is usually more difficult for them to elaborate about their opinions and experiences, and even their voices are quieter.  This particular visit was a delightful and enriching because all of the members of Espumpuja were eager and open to sharing their thoughts. It was obvious that AMA’s programs for mental well-being and self-esteem have been greatly beneficial for their self-confidence. They have come such a long way!

Before selling their weavings to Pixan, the members of the community were selling them in the markets of nearby town San Juan, because they had already been weavers for their whole lives. One of the questions the group was asked was if they found it to be an important thing that their partnership with Pixan allows them to stay in their communities, or in their homes. They were asked if they think it’s a beneficial way to be able to work, and with much enthusiasm, many responded. Josefa Romero (right) specifically spoke up, saying, “It is much, much better that we can work from home. We have many things that we have to do every day. We have husbands, we have children, we have animals to feed… and when our children come home from school we can have food already made. We can go back and forth from cooking, weaving, cleaning and washing, back to weaving, feed our livestock, and then continue weaving. This allows us a lot of time to take care of everything that needs to be done in a day.” This reduction of time spent outside the community, possibly traveling to San Juan to the market allows them to be productive in their work while also feeling equally productive at home.

Juana Méndez Romero (left), 62, who is from the nearby community of Manantial but participates in the Espumpuja women’s circle, has 12 children and “countless grandchildren,” so needless to say was very happy about the extra time she has. She mentioned that working for Pixan and with AMA is a great source of happiness for her, and she thanks the organization so much for taking them into account. She loves getting an income from her weavings.

Another Espumpuja resident, Esperanza Romero Méndez (pictured under the title "The Story of Espumpuja"), elaborated on why being able to work in her community is so important, saying, “Yes, staying in our community helps us so much, because each one of us has different things we do. We can’t survive by just attending to one thing—we have to do many things to make money. Some of us plant vegetables in the fields, some of us harvest them, some of us sell them in the markets. Pixan is a very helpful part of all that we do to gain income for all of our necessary spending; especially on our children’s studies. For example, here in Guatemala, you are required to buy a uniform for your children. It’s such a shame when the principal requests that you buy the uniform of 50 quetzales, and you can’t do it. It’s very sad.” Since Esperanza has 7 children, the cost of uniforms would definitely add up to a lot in the end. She is now an independent earner and contributor, with all the confidence of being able to care for her family emotionally and financially.

Yolanda Romero Romero (or Yoli), 23 years old, spoke the most out of anyone in the group interview. Her radiance and confidence was inspiring, and represents the next generation of weavers and AMA participants, as her mother also is a member of the AMA women’s circles. She commented that “To be a woman and have work that is other than our housework, which no one pays us for, is something I deeply thank the support of AMA and Pixan for. I never tire of being thankful because I’ve seen the fruits of my work. And even though I feel tired right now, there is money. Before we had never known, had never seen a 100 quetzales bill—it’s so hard to earn that amount of money. Even though it’s hard for men to earn too, it’s still easier for them than us.” She went on to remark about their weaving training; “AMA has helped us so much with our training, with delivering cloth, experience, and knowledge. Thanks especially to Mayra for her patience and her efforts to come here. It was a little difficult at the beginning because we didn’t know how to take measurements or how to use yarn—but we thank those who have given us the opportunity to be trained, who have given us knowledge that we didn’t have before. It’s all such an asset for us. When I first started to weave, I wasn’t saving any money because I couldn’t. But thanks to God now for the little I have put together, some of which I can support my family with. I also thank the support of my mom and grandmother, because before I was not part of any group. And now, I am! It was so different in the past; because of my participation I’ve lost all my fear that I had! And I know more, and I’m seeing more of this every month.”

Supporting and empowering women foremost with knowledge is the fundamental value of AMA’s work, and our successes are shown through how weavers of Pixan and women’s circle members feel about themselves after all they have accomplished. The benefits of loving oneself and strengthening one’s identity come on slowly, but come from a deep and authentic place that truly improves one's sense of self-worth. We facilitate the opportunity to learn and grow, but our members are the one’s that take advantage of it, and actually do all the work. We are so proud of them for all the time and effort they have put in with their participation. What is important to us at AMA and HSP is not only the personal development of our partners but also how that development positively affects a wider scope of the nation of Guatemala. If we support women to make beneficial changes internally, the external world of their land and communities is subsequently affected. We strive to always continue connecting women to their culture and supporting healthy lives with the intention to allow them to remain in the land they love.

Works Cited

Bodley, John H. Cultural Anthropology: Tribes, States, and the Global System.Maryland: AltaMira Press, 2011. Google Books. Web. 9 Sep. 2015.https://books.google.com.gt/books?id=COgW94KxVL4C&redir_esc=y

Pretty, Jules N. Agri-Culture: Reconnecting People, Land, and Nature.Virginia:Earthscan Publications Limited, 2002. Google Books. Web. 9 Sep 2015.https://books.google.com.gt/books/about/Agri_Culture.html?id=f57JHmlqOMC&redir_esc=y

Tix Tawaq’an

Ixtahuacán is a region that truly reflects its name. This Quiché name is derived from "Tix Tawaq'an" which translates as my foot has sank in the soil and now I’m part of the earth. The people of Ixtahuacán relationship with the land extends for generations. More than being sacred, it is their identity. They recognize and converse with the spirits of the mountains and know the locations of their ancestors burial grounds throughout the region. A core aspect of the Highland Support Project’s vision of development is derived from Maya teachings concerning “La Arte Maya” or Maya Art. The art of living well. Our definition of development is that it allows one to live happy and healthy in the place where one is destined to exist. Rather than seeking to bend people to fit a global system, we endeavor to assist communities make adaptations that enable them to sustain relationships and culture according to their own terms.

This week Pao Tzp, the community outreach associate of our highland partner AMA, visited Ixtahuacán to conduct training seminars and provide production materials. This is part of our sponsored program Pixan. Pixan assists indigenous artisans develop diversified skills and tools to work more efficiently on large complex orders. Pixan connects rural women with global market opportunities to harness the power of the market to break cycles of poverty.

The lesson plan this week covered different embroidery techniques utilized to produce Pixan’s diamond line of fashion accessories. The line features geographic designs that symbolize the connection we all share in the Cosmos. This line contributes to the livelihood of 70 households in the department of Santa Catarina Ixtahuacán.

Later in the week, Pao delivered materials for 65 different fabric designs to be produced for international business clients A Rum Fellow, Piece & Co, Sarah Contrucci and our partner distributor of Pixan products AlterNatives. Pixan connects design entrepreneurs with fair trade production that provides women with three times the local average income. The purpose of these connections are to allow women to maintain lives of dignity while retaining their relationship to land and community

Doña Dominga Guachiac Tum was one of 60 women receiving training in the community center of Santa Catarina Ixtahuacán. Doña Dominga is 60 years young and walked 40 minutes from the hamlet of Xeabaj ii to attend the trainings. She emphasized her appreciation for the efforts to bring new customers. One of these orders will take two weeks to a month to complete. She stated that this significantly helps the household economies of all the women and that they will be able to buy food staples and school supplies for their children.

Pixan is empowering indigenous women by providing them with unparalleled access to higher-value markets, assist emerging companies compete and create a viable model of ethical and culturally sustaining global sourcing practices.

To connect with Pixan to produce your line, visit www.pixanproductions.org or contact Aldina Mendez at aldina@pixanproductions.org. To score one of Pixan’s creations for yourself visit alternatives.boutique.

HSP's 2014 Annual Report

Click here to read and enjoy our 2014 Annual Report