Our focus with Mission: Guatemala, our selling project, has been to find markets here in the US for the handicrafts made by five Guatemalan artisan groups.  We have been moderately successful, but it has always been a struggle to generate enough sales to have a significent impact on the lives of the artisans.  The money they earn from selling their handicrafts has always been a help as they struggle to support their families and we will continue to buy during the Christmas season, but our emphasis will change to working to help them improve their lives through activities in Guatemala.

   Our first step has been to do a needs assessment with the Women of Chumanzana.  The activities they felt would be helpful were learning to grow small gardens for their families, improving their cooking skills, opening a store to sell thread for weaving, and improving educational activities for their children. 

   Through Juana Cun, a university scholarship holder, we were able to arrange a course in organic gardening with ADEMI, an institution in a nearby town. A technician will work with them in their village every two weeks.  Working in their village is important because their family responsibilites make it hard for them to be away from home.  They have already started a compost bin and are on their way. 

   They have also started cooking courses with Candalaria Sut, this semester's Kateri intern.  She is traveling to their village on the alternate weeks. She is  teaching them to make the dishes they requested.   They know how to cook beans and rice and of course tortillas, but they want to learn more.

   Carmela Paz, the scholarship coordinator, is doing an in depth study of the education available in their village. We will look at the possibilities for them to improve education for their children.

   The picture above shows Emilsa Peren explaining a new design to the Mujeres Clarenses.  She and Carmela have helped the women organize two groups to sell their embroidry.  Emilsa will be overseeing a similiar needs assessment by Estela Perez, one of our scholarship graduates, with this group.  We're sure they will have equally good ideas.  This experience has proved to us that people do know how to improve their lives. They just need a little help from a friend!