2024 Guatemala Trip Summary!
11 women (and my 9 year old son) ventured to the village of San Andrés Guatemala this month to explore, learn, and serve. Men were, of course, welcome, but I found it noteworthy that we ended up with a group of all women. So much of the fair trade movement is fueled by female makers, entrepreneurs, and change makers. I’m honored to be a part of this true sisterhood of women empowering women, lifting each other up through our livelihoods, our encouragement, and our passion for human rights.
This month we partnered with Be Humanitarian a non profit whose mission is to inspire others to become global citizens who take a hands-on role in the world around them. Their founder, Tobie Spears, led us through Guatemala as we visited a wide variety of makers including back strap loom weavers from Cojolya, David Flores of the Volcano Shop Pacaya, ceramic artists in San Antonio, a coffee farm co-op, wood workers and more! We supported local women who cooked us traditional meals and welcomed us into their homes to let us assist in building garden towers that will be used to grow vegetables for their families. Be Humanitarian has recently built a sewing center in San Andrés where local women can earn a living for their families. We met here to administer vision and weight checks for families and distributed your generous donations to children who were starting school the next day! I was thrilled to facilitate a super fun art project with the kiddos and their moms while they waited their turn to get their eyes checked.
To all of those who donated, attended the trip, or simply offered support to My Fair Trade Lady so we could be here to make this happen, thank you. You are the change makers!!
– Julia Mooney, Owner
@myfairtradelady
