The project “Empowering indigenous women in Guatemala through technical and business training oriented to self employment”, co-financed by OFID, began in January 2016 in the regions of Solola and Chimaltenango.
In the first ten months, we have been working with the beneficiaries, indigenous women living in extreme poverty, in different training programs: packaging, pastry, candle making, dressmaking, embroidery, jewellery, baskets, etc.
These courses linked with both the craftsmanship and food products in high demand are adapted to the local market. To date, there have been 8 full courses and seven others have been initiated which will end in December, related to traditional crafts and food. In addition, there has been a business training program and partnership. These courses are conducted with a methodology adapted to the beneficiaries, which have very low level education or no schooling, and in most cases also have difficulty understanding the Castilian.
Some of these beneficiaries, through training and the “productive kit” received to start their business, have participated in the fair which is held every year at the Training Centre for Rural Women Ixoqi’, selling their products directly to the clients.
The aim of the training programs is to provide skills to students so that they can strengthen their expertise in the development, manufacture and production of these products, for, in a second phase, to market them directly and create their own projects self-entrepreneurship. In this way, the project contributes to equality between women and men, to strengthen opportunities and access to the formal economy of women, and therefore their autonomy. Likewise, it contributes to economic growth in these impoverished areas, generating entrepreneurial projects that in this first phase are supported by our local partner, FUDI (Foundation for Integral Development).