Project Report
| Apr 3, 2015
Mother and Daughter Plant Carrots for the Export Market with a Microcredit Loan
By Jeannie Balanda | Executive Director
![Visitors admire Santos and Cristina's carrot crop.]()
Visitors admire Santos and Cristina's carrot crop.
Santos and Cristina live on their own. They weave products for MayaWorks and supplement their income by cultivating crops. The mother and daughter team recently took out a microcredit loan to purchase seed to plant a carrot field. These carrots are being grown for the export market where the sale of the crop will result in a nice profit for the pair. Crops are excellent projects if the weather cooperates. So far this season, the weather has been perfect for growing deliciously sweet carrots.
Santos and Cristina were pleased to show off their microcredit project to a group of North American visitors this past February! The tourists were impressed with the size of the carrots. Santos showed her appreciation by pulling carrots directly from the ground and peeling them for her visitors to eat by the side of the field. Carrots never tasted so fresh!
![Eating freshly harvested carrots.]()
Eating freshly harvested carrots.
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Dec 30, 2014
Update on Maria Arcadia's Livestock Project
By Jeannie Balanda | Executive Director
![Maria Arcadia]()
Maria Arcadia
Earlier this year we reported on Maria Arcadia's livestock project. We told you how she expanded her livestock to sell more milk to her commmuunity. We're very happy to report that Maria Arcadia is now selling milk and cheese to neighboring communities!
Maria Arcadia lives in a very remote village where there are no local corner stores. Everyday she and her husband load up their pick-up truck with milk and cheese and travel to the surrounding hamlets to sell to other small communities that lack access to stores where they can purchase fresh dairy products. Not only does Maria Arcadia provide an important service to folks who lack resources but she also earns an income that allows her to provide for her four children and her grandchildren. It's a win-win for everyone!
Maria Arcadia is a leader in her community. She's smart, hardworking and a role model for other women in her small village. She is also grateful for the opportunities that she has been given that have allowed her to improve her standard of living and that of her family.
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Sep 29, 2014
Beautiful Tapestries Created from Microcredit Loans
By Jeannie Balanda | Executive Director
![Juana models one of her huipiles.]()
Juana models one of her huipiles.
Last year Juana applied for a microcredit loan to purchase thread to weave huipiles for the local market. Huipiles are the beautiful hand woven shirts indigenous Maya women wear. They are woven on a backstrap loom and can take months to complete depending on their complexity. Juana also used the thread to weave table linens for the tourist market around Lake Atitlán.
Her $400 loan allowed her to purchase enough thread to get started with some commissioned huipiles. It also allowed her to purchase some old weaving equipment that desperately needed to be replaced.
On a recent visit to her home, she proudly showed off her hand woven items. She was most proud of her thread supply which she keeps locked up because she says her granddaughters like to help themselves to her thread!
We're proud to say that Juana just paid off her loan. She continues to weave huipiles for other women and hopes to spread her business into neighboring villages. We have no doubt she will apply for another loan when she is ready to expand her business.
![Juana prepares the threads for the loom.]()
Juana prepares the threads for the loom.
![Juana keeps her investment under lock and key.]()
Juana keeps her investment under lock and key.
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