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With the more than 30 cooperatives Mercado Global partners with, there are only two that create the very unique hand-woven brocades seen on our new collection of bags, totes, and pillows, order casodex. Ordering evista from canada, These artisan groups come from communities in the western highlands of Guatemala, and they work the silk fabrics skillfully to create the intricate patterns, iressa price. Idaho ID, I spoke with one of these uniquely skilled artisans, Maria, order capecitabine online, New Jersey NJ N.J., about the process and design of the brocades. She informed me that a typical brocade takes about 12 hours to make from start to finish, ordering casodex, Arkansas AR Ark., which provides a steady amount of work for the women in her cooperative. Each brocade requires a different amount of time to weave depending on the complexity of the design, billig kaufen gleevec. Order casodex, “The ‘blues’ are the most difficult to make,” said Maria, “but they are the most ordered from Mercado Global, which means more opportunity to work.”  Maria explained that brocading has allowed her more opportunities to work than other forms of weaving. Pennsylvania PA Penn., The income she and other women from her group make from the brocades goes toward the education of their children. She is thankful for the work with Mercado Global and hopes for more orders, cheapest epogen price. Arimidex without a prescription, One of the most distinctive features in the new brocade collection is that each of the patterns is unique to a different region in Guatemala. The blue brocades that Maria mentioned above are common to the colonial city of Antigua, order iressa online. Many of the traditional brocades incorporated elements of Mayan mysticism, and many designs were inspired by the movement of the moon and stars, order casodex. Arizona AZ Ariz., Other designs followed the time-line of the Mayan calendar. It is not rare to see these designs in the huipiles (traditional women’s blouses) worn by indigenous women in the streets, Maryland MD Md..

In our hand-woven tote collection our designers utilized eco-friendly jute fabric, making these bags not only fair trade but also environmentally friendly. Jute is a long soft vegetable fiber that can be spun into coarse, strong threads and is a rain-fed crop with little need for fertilizer or pesticides, allowing it to have a very low impact on the environment. Order casodex, These attributes make it the perfect material to combine with the stunning brocades for the eco-friendly tote collection.

The new brocaded pillows and hand-woven, eco-friendly jute bags combine just what our designers wanted: traditional and exceptional Mayan craftsmanship with modern styles. This successful combination is allowing Mercado Global to take this new collection to major U.S retailers, thereby expanding work opportunities and social impacts for skilled artisans in rural Guatemala. Be sure to check out our collections at ABC Carpet and Home, as well as online, this May.

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A year ago the Artesanas Mayas textile cooperative had no savings, nor did they have any plans to begin saving.  However, after partnering with Mercado Global and participating in our financial literacy and asset-building program, Artesanas Mayas began to build a remarkable savings portfolio.  Just over the past year, the group has managed to save 1,000 Quetzales (the local Guatemalan currency), and they have big plans to invest in their futures. Arkansas AR Ark.,  As I sat with Adriana Isabel Morales, leader of the cooperative, buy zometa online legally, Cheap evista online, along with the other women of the Artesanas Mayas, it was explained to me how important the knowledge of savings has been for the cooperative as well as for the individual artisans, cheap casodex overnight delivery. Casodex pedido en línea, The group has been setting aside 5% of the money earned on their orders with Mercado Global with the goal to invest in a new industrial size sewing machine. One woman explained to me why her group needs the new machine.  She said, cheap zometa online legally, Michigan MI Mich., “The current small machines that we have do not allow us to take on as much business as we’d like. They are unable to handle thicker fabrics and they are much slower than what the big machine could do.” With the industrial size machine the women hope to take on more business and increase their efficiency.  Adriana also explained that in addition to the cooperative’s savings each of the women have begun saving individually as well, order zometa no prescription. While their savings are still small, the artisans are building a safety net to use in case of emergencies, buy cheap gleevec online. Generic gleevec, [caption id="attachment_943" align="alignright" width="302" caption="Adriana Isabel Morales Quino, Leader of Artesanas Mayas"][/caption]

Before they had savings, cheap cytoxan pill, District of Columbia DC D.C., I was told, if there was an accident or illness the families would try to borrow money from neighbors, buy gleevec, Acheter epogen bon marché, often at very high interest rates if any funds were available to spare at all.  Now with the money they have saved, these women can sustain their families if an emergency arises.  Furthermore, Mississippi MS Miss., Hawaii HI, these women are not only saving for emergencies, but they are also saving for their children’s future educations, αγοράσετε epogen έκπτωση. West Virginia WV W.Va., This progress is extremely important to the women of the cooperative. They all agreed that they will continue to save money now that they understand the importance and benefits, Maryland MD Md.. Colorado CO Colo., Even though the group has an impressive savings record, their capacity to save is dependent on the work they can produce.  While they make the best use of their small machines, buy gleevec online, Om cytoxan online, real growth would come from using an industrial machine.  Saving for one of these machines could take several years, as an industrial sewing machine costs 4, kopen goedkope epogen, New Jersey NJ N.J., 000 quetzales, four times as much as the group currently has in savings.  For this reason, comprare cytoxan sconto, Order gleevec no prescription, we are excited to be offering the group a loan through Mercado Global’s micro-credit program. With the help from the Levi Strauss Foundation, we will be able to offer Artesanas Mayas the opportunity to purchase the industrial sewing machine through a combination of their own savings and a group loan, thereby expediting the process of growing their income earning abilities. Following the purchase of the sewing machine, the next goal of the group is to purchase a central location for the artisans to work comfortably and together. With that in place, the women feel that they will be able to operate with maximum efficiency.

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Our impressions of Guatemala could be summarized in three words: beautiful, sad, and strong. The physical beauties of the land and lake were no surprise, but were indeed magnificent. District of Columbia DC D.C., Though it has been subject to some degradation through unregulated agricultural development, it is still a spectacular country. The people, too, købe epogen, are beautiful, with striking Mayan features and distinctive regional clothing. Ordering arimidex overnight delivery, These people have a stunning artistic heritage, expressed in the artisanal pottery, carvings, and textiles they have made for centuries and continue today, evista sale, unique in the world.
Yet there is a sadness woven into this society, from the Spanish conquest through today, order cheap arimidex online. The racism that began with subjugating the Mayan peoples in the 16th century is still a feature of contemporary Guatemala. Comprar gleevec, It is expressed in the inequality of all aspects of life: income, education, nutrition, life expectancy, Vermont VT Vt.. Although Guatemala is not a poor country, in fact rich in resources and production, South Dakota SD, the indigenous population are very poor indeed, and a tiny clique of Ladino families controls most of the wealth, abetted by some of the worst corruption imaginable. We heard confirmed the nightmares of the 36-year Civil War, billig epogen apotek, most bitterly directed at the Mayan peoples. Order cheap arimidex online, We did not hear one good word about the government in our 12 days in the country, except that it was not quite as bad as former ones. One sees sadness in the eyes of men and women who work so hard for so little and know that the odds are heavily stacked against them. Order zometa online without prescription, But there is also strength in these eyes, hands, and backs. From the man carrying a backload of firewood, ordering gleevec online without prescription, to the hands of an elder woman weaving bright yarn on a loom into traditional patterns, to a friendly and courteous driver, Order epogen from canada, to the quick, efficient preparation of a meal for a guest, you see resilience in Guatemalans. These people have not given up fighting for a better life for their families, αγοράσετε capecitabine, nor for the survival of strands from their traditional culture (during Semana Santa [Holy Week] it was clear that Mayan spiritualities have survived despite five centuries of dominant Catholicism).

[caption id="attachment_928" align="alignright" width="402" caption="Doña Vincenta with other artisans at Chuacruz"][/caption]

It is to that strength that we found Mercado Global directing their efforts, order cheap arimidex online. Visiting the women’s cooperatives in the communities we visited, Acquistare a buon mercato evista, we saw a pride and strength in having made real advances in the returns for their work, in their ability to progress through self-organization, and in the respect gained in their own communities for these efforts.

More children are going to school in these communities, capecitabine kopen, a key to improved prospects for these families practicing subsistence farming, and those schools (like the one in Chuacruz) have also been aided by MG projects. Buy epogen overnight delivery, The spokeswoman in San Andres, a feisty woman with alert eyes and an answer for every question, perhaps put it best: men used to say that women were worth nothing, but now that we are selling our works, casodex online cheap, with help of Mercado Global, they see that we can help make life better for our families just as much as anyone. Um epogen online, Not only is there a monetary improvement, which is important, but also a leap in self-regard, self-reliance, order zometa pill, and hope among these women. Order cheap arimidex online, That is good work.
We observed several strengths in Mercado Global: to start, Mississippi MS Miss., a fearless, well-informed, no-nonsense, unsentimental leader with a vision, Virginia VA Va., the Energizer Bunny, Ruth DeGolia. Buy arimidex online cheap, We were impressed with the rapport and respect between Ruth and the rest of the staff and the community leaders (she is “the Ruth”). Ruth is ably assisted by other new American staff, Rachel Jo and Blake, who work quite in stride with the Ruth and who helped make our visit a pleasure, ordering zometa overnight delivery. And in what we observed to be a great step toward sustainability and local self-direction, MG staff includes several Guatemalan women who manage all aspects of the business: Lydia, Osta cytoxan online, Reina, Marisol, and La Jefa, Delia (who has more energy at 7 months pregnant than most college athletes), αγοράσετε epogen. They are training the women in the associated groups to manage their work with basic business skills, including a group savings plan—impressive stuff worthy of the best community organizers, order cheap arimidex online.
A great symbol (a part that participates in and stands for the whole) of MG’s work: this whole group of young women, immediately after shepherding their “gringo” visitors for 4 days, Cheap iressa from canada, the afternoon we disbanded jumped headlong into packing up an emergency order for a US client. With Delia overseeing, they were recording, weighing, and wrapping every piece into bags that Ruth would carry as luggage on her flight back to the States the next day, in order to expedite delivery of important samples. All this on Ruth’s birthday. This is good work.

Michael & Kathryn Havens

Napa, California.

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Arriving in Guatemala, buy cytoxan online legally, Kaufen capecitabine, I took a taxi to my homestay and met the wonderful family that I’d be staying with. I dropped my bags off in my room and was taken the short 2 minute walk to see the office (it’s extremely convenient living so close to the office!), cheap epogen tablet. Kjøpe cytoxan online, There I met Joanna and Harry, who were working late, where to buy arimidex, Cheap epogen, and was pleased to find friendly co-workers. They made the transition much easier by showing me the ways of the city and introducing me to many people in the community, order casodex online cheap.

To begin my first week of work I was quickly informed of what an exciting and industrious week it would be, För gleevec online. Ordering evista without prescription, Everyone was running full steam to make sure everything was perfect for our Nordstrom order.  Ruth arrived a day after I did to assist in the process and had a whirlwind of a trip. I, buy arimidex online, New Mexico NM N.Mex., too, was caught up in the hustle and bustle of making sure the order was completed to the highest quality, kjøpe epogen. Cheap iressa without prescription, I met everyone, who were very kind to take time to welcome me to the close-knit office and make me feel at home.  As things came together with the shipment, buy capecitabine without prescription, Gleevec farmacia a buon mercato, I slowly found my place in the office and learned my responsibilities.  I will be assisting with the Conference Bag Program doing sales and marketing. Order casodex online cheap, The first week has been great to observe the office and see how it functions. I’m excited to have the projects I’ll be working on and hope that I’ll be able to make a contribution to this great mission-driven organization, αγοράσετε evista έκπτωση. Cytoxan online, It is so apparent what a difference this organization has on the women in these partner communities. I enjoy watching artisans working diligently on products just outside our office.  Seeing those women working hard, kjøpe billig epogen, Billiga evista apotek, earning income for their family is such an uplifting feeling.  One only has to walk down the main street here to see how many other families aren’t making ends meet by trying to sell their products to a non-existing market.  For those people, I am driven to work harder, buy cheap iressa online, For gleevec online, to find more markets in the United States and link our products to them. By those means, cheap zometa online, Buy gleevec online without prescription, we can help the women who still struggle to find a better living and break away from an impoverished life.

To sum up my week, cheap casodex online, I would say it has been fantastic learning about the office during a very demanding and significant time for this organization. I love what Mercado Global is doing for these communities and am proud to be a part of it. Staying with a host family has shown me how wonderful the people are down here and I love eating meals with the family while they tell me everything from Spanish jokes by the 3^rd grade daughter to the current happenings with the teacher’s strike.  I feel more and more comfortable every day in this country, even with the two 5.7 magnitude earthquakes shaking my world.  Judging by my first week, I’m most certain that this is going to be an exciting 3 months.

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