Empowering Mayan women through ancient textiles

Human Development

In these months we have elaborated with all the care measures some facilitations with the following topics: conflict resolution, teamwork, and self-esteem in the communities of Chojchow and Tsajalch'en belonging to the municipality of San Juan Cancuc; Aguacatenango municipality of Venustiano Carranza; Amatenango del Valle; Yaxjemel municipality of Chenalhó, Cabecera de Aldama, Choyó in Santiago El Pinar and Basahantic of the municipality of San Andrés Larráinzar.
Through these spaces we were able to reaffirm the importance of teamwork, it is always better to work collectively, we like to see how the different groups of artisans have managed to organize and support each others. We also saw the importance of thaving tools for conflict resolution that can serve them and above all that they can put them into practice when they need them.

Collaborations

Within the area of collaboration we continue to knock and open doors in order to continue with the economic reactivation of the groups of women artisans with whom we work, currently we have collaborations of different designers and projects  with the groups of artisans of Aguacatenango, Huxtán, Chenalo, Chamula, Bochilté, Santiago el Pinar and Tzajalchen, these collaborations give dignified work to approximately 173 women artisans. We continue working for the economic reactivation of women artisans in the highlands of Chiapas.

Productive technical area

Three groups of craftswomen in the community of Aguacatenango were trained in basic principles, learning how to use the tape measure and read the technical sheets. This new knowledge will help them improve aspects such as the precision of measurements and the reading of instructions for their application in the development of products.

In addition, with the women's group "Ajan" (which means corn producers) from the community of Ucuntic in the municipality of Chamula and Moni, a volunteer from the Autonomous University of Aguascalientes studying fashion design in clothing and textiles, they worked on a process of experimentation with natural dyes.
Both Moni and Felipa, a member of the AJAN group, shared their knowledge through several sessions and showed the rest of the group different techniques for dyeing natural fibers with the objective of continuing and adding tools so that fellow artisans can improve or give a plus to their embroidery.

Little by little, even with all the measures of care, we continue with the different processes together with the Artisan Women of the Highlands of Chiapas. We continue with the commitment to continue accompanying their way both technically, psycho-emotional and with the work of sensitizing people about the importance of the artisanal work done by these women who in addition to preserving the ancestral knowledge, give support to their family and community.

Links:

• NGOimpacto webpage