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Mujer y Comunidad Maria del Pilar
Latin America & the Caribbean
Mujer y Comunidad Maria del Pilar
Project Coordinator:
Maria Julia Carranza
Project Overview:
Mujer y Comunidad Maria del Pilar (Zaragoza, EL SALVADOR) became an IPM partner in 2003. A group of women from Zaragoza visited Mujer y Comunidad in Nicaragua, and used the structure of a women’s based cooperative to found their own co-op, based on sewing clothing and handcrafts. In recent years the project has expanded (along with the women’s technical expertise in fair trade production), allowing the women to bring their clothing to larger markets in order to earn a sustainable income to support their families. Not only does the co-op provide the women with income, but also a sense of ownership and community as they are able to have control over their labor.
See samples of their work in this beautiful catalog, available as a PDF download by clicking here.
Recent Accomplishments:
Increased recognition of their work by the community
Participation in regional festivals
Number of People Directly Served by Project:
35
Number of People Indirectly Served by Project:
70
Goals for 2010:
To improve the health of the women in the program
To establish human rights for the women who participate in the program
IPM Funding Goal for 2010:
$5,500
Community Impact:
Juana Nohemí Rodriguez is part of the women’s co-operative at Mujer y Comunidad. She lives in a small rural village on the outskirts of Zaragoza. She is 30 years old and lives with her husband and four sons. The community they live in consists of five families, and has no electricity or running water. Her husband does not earn a steady income, and until Juana joined Mujer y Comunidad (MyC), the family was surviving off whatever income he could generate. Juana was introduced to MyC through a friend of hers. At first she thought it was simply a school that taught women how to sew, but soon discovered it offered much more than that. Since joining MyC, she has been able to provide extra income for her husband and children by making and selling clothes. Juana is grateful for not only the income she receives from MyC, but also the skills she and her family have learned through MyC. Juana has learned how to sew and embroider and her husband and children have learned how to take care of household chores when she is gone. Juana has also learned how to design patterns that MyC uses on their products and does this at home to earn a little more. Juana, like the other women of Mujer y Comunidad, feels empowered by the experience. She has learned that there are opportunities for her besides taking care of the house and her family and she is very happy to have this opportunity. Her husband was uncomfortable with her working outside of the house at first, but now he sees the benefit of it both financially and in the happiness it brings his wife. Mujer y Comunidad has certainly been a blessing for Juana and her family. In Juana’s own words, “not only do we have the skills to craft products here, we also have the skills to craft our own lives.”
How your donation may be put to use:
$50 provides transportation and food for 5 women for one year
$140 funds a Mother's Day Celebration for the group and the community