Posted by Maya Traditions on September 02, 2015
The current situation in Guatemala in terms of social and economic development – especially within indigenous communities–is often described as critical. In comparison to its Latin American counterparts, Guatemala has extremely high rates of maternal mortality, gender inequality, poverty, and childhood malnutrition. The Guardian recently reported that last year, 5,100 girls under 15 became pregnant in Guatemala. “Cultural practices, lack of education, endemic violence, and the hold of the Catholic church over decisions on reproductive health make girls in Guatemala easy prey for abuse and vulnerable to early pregnancy’’ (The Guardian 2015). During our recent clinics in different rural communities, we
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Flynn, founder of our partner organization MALENA, visited Maya Traditions this week at our headquarters in Panajachel, Guatemala. “It has been amazing to spend time with the artisans in the cooperatives, to see their wonderful work, and to learn more about their lives and stories. Their artisan products are the most beautiful I have seen in Guatemala.” While traveling to our cooperative in San Juan La Laguna, taking a tour through our medicinal plant garden, and experiencing various Maya traditions in and around Panajachel, Flynn has received an in-depth experience and understanding of the hard work and life of indigenous women and their
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“We believe every person—despite the social, economic or geographic situation they were born into—deserves the freedom to discover, to dream andto thrive.” Maya Traditions Foundation is proud to announce an exciting new partnership with social entrepreneur Sarah Contrucci Smith and her new business Ara Collective. Ara Collective is a socially responsible company that works alongside artisans to develop unique, handcrafted products that blend traditional craftsmanship with modern style. In preparation for the launch of her business, Sarah visited Guatemala and traveled to our communities to meet our artisans and observe their work. Growing up in Indonesia, Sarah was provided with the opportunity to learn
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Maya Traditions Foundation began partnering with Unlocking Silent Histories ‘USH’ in 2012 offering young people involved in our Youth Education Program the opportunity to develop and share their voices through creating their own short documentaries. Here, the USH Guatemala Field Director Jenn Miller shares the latest developments within the program: A heavy rain begins to fall on Saturday afternoon as we wrap up our first Unlocking Silent Histories meeting with two new groups of program participants in Santiago Atitlan. The indigenous youth gathered around the table where we sit in a second floor office don’t seem to mind, using the rain as a welcome
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We are excited to announce a new partnership with The Thread Caravan, a business that will offer art workshops around the world. By participating, individuals learn about traditional craft production, while also experiencing scenery and adventures unique to each destination. The first destination is Guatemala, where participants will learn the art of backstrap weaving with our artisans at Maya Traditions Foundation. Here, founder Caitlin Ahern shares a bit about The Thread Caravan: Hi, I’m Caitlin, an artist with a passion for travel and helping others. I’m merging these interests by creating The Thread Caravan. Our comprehensive travel packages take participants to different communities around the
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What did you do with your last pair of old, rugged jeans? Artists Mark Vennegoor and Rebeca Vennegoor-Solares, a couple from Holland, came to Maya Traditions to implement a unique pilot project that gives new life to old pairs of jeans, “The idea of this project is to raise awareness of the clothes we use. In the Western world, it’s very common to buy clothes and throw them away, there is no connection to or appreciation for our clothes. The concept of the project is to change this habit, and combine the pants with the Maya culture, to give these
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