SAMAJEL B'ATZ'

Samajel B'atz' is comprised of five weaving groups located throughout Guatemala. In a collective effort to promote fair trade and reduce the number of intermediaries, it is run by its members, 99% of whom are rural, economically impoverished Mayan women.

As an integral part of a Mayan woman's identity, weaving has a profound significance in life, and it plays a dual role for many. While most women continue to wear their traditional hand woven "traje," textiles are also an important source of income for these weavers who are, in many instances, heads of households. Working together under the umbrella of Samajel B'atz', they are more easily able to access on-going training opportunities, and are better positioned to market their products well.

With your purchase of fairly priced crafts from Samajel B'atz', you can contribute to the economic and cultural survival of Mayan women. The difference you can make upholds these women's dignity while honoring the value of their artistic expression. You can, for a moment, resist the world of synthetic mass-produced merchandise and, instead, for that moment, create a meaningful human connection.