Behind every garment lies a story that often remains unseen. Each stitch, cut, and detail represents the effort of people who deserve fair working conditions, living wages, safety, and respect. The clothes we wear should not be the product of exploitation or unfair working hours. By choosing our garments, we can also support the people who make them and demand a fashion industry that is more responsible, ethical, and humane for everyone.
In Zapotlanejo, women seamstresses work from home without benefits or social security. Our assessment found that 66.7% work without benefits, 84.6% are unable to cover all their needs with their income, and 85.7% feel their employment situation has remained the same or worsened. The Corralillos La Esperanza Collective promotes training, organization, and cooperative principles to enable them to transition from precarious contract workers to members of their own cooperative.
After nearly three years of organizing, the Corralillos La Esperanza Collective is ready to become a cooperative producing surgical clothing. Over the course of 12 months, CEREAL will support its members through training in computer skills, social media, marketing, labor rights, and cooperative principles, alongside legal advice and fieldwork support. Your support will enable them to sell directly, set fair prices, understand their rights, and make collective decisions.
Knowing their rights and developing technical skills enables seamstresses to make decisions, set fair prices for their work, and reduce their reliance on intermediaries. A well-established cooperative will serve as a model for other communities in Zapotlanejo and allow the approach to be replicated in La Paz, La Laja, and Santa Fe, helping to transform an industry rooted in precarious labor into opportunities for organization, autonomy, and dignity.
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