The last two years have seen exciting developments in institutional strengthening for Oxlajuj B’atz’. Through various initiatives, we aim to strengthen the infrastructure and build OB and the women’s cooperatives into sustainable operations (see our Strategic Plan for in-depth information).

OB is in the process of forming a new Association with a new local Board of Directors. The General Assembly of the new Association will include representatives from each community group who will meet in a central location to determine the direction of OB. Through focused workshops, we will make sure the women have the skills they need to adequately participate in taking leadership and decision-making roles. It is our goal that OB is member-owned and operated within the next five years.

New Group Development & Research

OB has begun the process of receiving new groups while simultaneously graduating long-standing groups from our educational curriculums. OB seeks to consistently reach out to groups of women who don’t have other opportunities available to them and are interested in being involved with Oxlajuj B’atz.  Ways in which we find new groups vary.  Sometimes women in communities approach us for assistance, and often existing groups and other people involved in artisan and economic development offer recommendations. When we identify a potential community to work with, we conduct an intensive Needs Assessment conducted by a licensed Social Worker, which includes community interviews, SWOT analysis, historical evaluations and the group’s willingness to enter into a partnership with OB.

Once chosen, commitments between the group and OB are agreed upon and the groups are provided with personal development workshops and basic group organization trainings. Our strategic plan includes development of two new groups per year while, simultaneously, we begin to graduate our more advanced groups and help them to become mentors for our new groups. back to top

Asset Mapping

OB recently began adapting the Asset Mapping model to its sustainable development efforts, by testing it in one community. Based on the principles set by John Kretzmann and John McKnight in their book, Building Communities from the Inside Out, the asset-based approach does not remove the need for outside resources, but makes their use more effective. This approach is based on the theory that long-term sustainable development happens only when the residents are committed to investing themselves and their resources in the effort. Our implementation of this model includes in-depth interviews and group brainstorming and strategizing sessions with each community, with the results yielding exciting new projects aimed at bettering the groups’ individual lives, their families and communities.  OB believes in this model as a means of helping the groups reach self-sustainability, and we look forward to continuing to test it out in the future. back to top

Monitoring & Evaluation

OB has recently implemented a Monitoring & Evaluation system to guide us in making evidence-based decisions in all aspects of our work. Contrived by a participatory process that included all Community Facilitators, the Director and a Monitoring & Evaluation specialist, this system aims to collect data specific to our goals and objectives.

The in-community workshops are monitored on a consistent basis and subsequent analysis and discussion of indicator results is leading us to grow in effective ways to have the highest level of impact. The Director of Monitoring & Evaluation, the Field Supervisor and Community Facilitators participate monthly in the design of monitoring tools that are then carried out in the field by the Community Facilitators. Implementation of this system has allowed for faster problem-solving and creative approaches to accomplishing our goals, and provided a means for measuring knowledge attainment.

Since 2004, OB has always conducted Annual Evaluations to obtain information from the women’s groups about whether or not our programs have been successful. Our growth into a strategic M&E system has allowed us to use best-practice research tools such as Needs Assessments, Demographics surveys, Baseline Surveys and Endpoint Evaluations to be better quantify and qualify our impact.

Over the next five years, in conjunction with our Strategic Plan, we will analyze existing data and determine what aspects of this new system function well, and which can be adapted to better streamline our processes and produce helpful information. If you are interested in volunteering as a monitoring and evaluation specialist or intern, fill out an application today. back to top

Young Maya Women’s Internship Program

The Young Maya Women’s Internship Program started in 2007. The program was originally created to promote leadership and new opportunities for the daughters of Oxlajuj B’atz’ artisan women members. We now offer the program to young women between the ages of 18 and 25, on average, from any one of the 20 communities where we work.  The purpose is to encourage young women’s participation in women’s social and economic development within their communities. The young Maya woman intern provides assistance to OB’s facilitators and member cooperatives meanwhile learning valuable experience to further her professional goals.  Click here for a detailed description of the internship and/or to apply.

Over the last few years, we’ve had some incredible success stories of these young women’s experiences as interns with Oxlajuj B’atz’.

Marcela Tzoc Portillo, 2009 intern and daughter of a weaver from a Maya K’iche community, came to OB not knowing what she wanted, just that she wanted to change her life. After our six month program, she decided to become a social worker and has since contributed her skills to other non-profits. She has also had the opportunity to travel to El Salvador for a young women’s leadership conference (find out more about what this was). Here is what Marcela had to say about her experience with OB:

“I’d say that when I first started, I was at zero. I didn’t know anything because it wasn’t my career. I studied how to educate children… But when I got there [Oxlajuj B’atz’], it was very different. I was very surprised, because the things I learned, I knew nothing about. But my supervisor really supported me, she helped me understand, helped direct me how to do things and adapt…At first I was scared to speak, and express myself, but as time went by and the 4th month started, I felt more confident. The workshops that we gave were based on the women’s needs.”