Adding to basket
Santa Catarina Palopo is on the shores of the beautiful Lake Atitlan. It is a very small town where the Friendship Bridge's Artesanas Santa Catarina was formed by seven extraordinary craftswomen. Making handicrafts is the primary and most productive form of work for the women of Santa Catarina Palopo, a place where exquisite blue colours infuse the tones of the local typical clothing. These blue hues make the huipiles and cortes very distinctive throughout the region.
The leader of this group, Ana, is 37 years old and married with seven children. She never had a formal education. Nevertheless, she works the best she knows how at producing fine crafts. Since childhood, Ana has been making the traditional regional fabric and also has done painting. Over time, she opened up a shop in the center of town, where she sells many different local crafts.
Ana is asking for a loan to buy a variety of fabrics, accessories and paintings to sell along with her own crafts. This will allow her to meet the higher demand that comes with summer time, which is rapidly approaching.
Ana and the other group members are very happy with the monthly meetings that the Trust Bank facilitator coordinates. These meetings include educational topics that are a part of Friendship Bridge's "microcredit plus" program, which gives women the opportunity to learn about self-esteem, medicinal plants and mental and preventative health. They also learn about business, such as budgeting, accounting, marketing and customer service -- all very important topics for the success of their businesses. Ana says that this program has helped improve the group’s lifestyle.
In this group: Ana Cristina, Carmen, Noemi Mercedes Manuela, Pedrina, Petrona, Blanca Estela, Carolina Rosibel
