Oxlajuj B’atz’ is one of only eighteen NGOs invited to talk about their work, challenges and plans for the future at the Guatemala NGO Network’s “Guatemala in Motion” event in Antigua, Saturday, Feb 18 from 10am to 2pm.
Join us as we showcase OB through our projects, products, testimonials and volunteer opportunities.
Further details can be found at: http://www.laantiguaguatemala.net/en/home
Mary Anne Wise and Jody Slocum of Cultural Cloth, LLC have been partnering with Oxlajuj B’atz’ for over three years on an initiative to bring the craft of rug hooking
to OB’s groups. This technique, very different from weaving, introduced a new opportunity for income generation and encouraged our artisans to express themselves freely and creatively whilst integrating elements of their Maya culture into the rug designs.
The following is an excerpt from Mary-Ann’s travel journal after her recent trip with Jody to OB in January to teach the first of four Teach the Teacher workshops scheduled for 2012. In these workshops Mary-Ann works with nine of our star rug hooking students teaching them to become design teachers to help the women in their co-operatives learn the craft. This first session included two days of travel to Guatemala City & Antigua to collect information, sketch, take notes, and listen to presentations by experts in textile development & traditional arts at the Museo Ixchel, Guatemala City.
“It’s impossible to describe what a treat it is for these women to be away from their responsibilities at home. For most of them, their day begins at 5:00 a.m. making breakfast, tending animals, and keeping their families on schedule. Around 9 a.m. their ‘work’ begins: textile production, tending crops, gathering wood for cooking fires, preparing more meals. And so on until bedtime at 10 p.m.
This field trip turned out to be a good idea. Who knew that only two of the 9 women had ever been to the City (an experience they don’t remember because they were quite young). The former director of the Museo (Barbara Knoke) welcomed the women and made them feel immediately comfortable – no intimidation at all. She is very good with los indigenous and remembers (unlike me) to pause for her Spanish words to be translated into Quiche. (Three of our students barely speak Spanish).
Jody, BJ & I met Barbara on our very first buying trip for the first trunk show in 2006. She has done amazing work documenting traditional clothing and collecting samples before they disappear forever. She understands the textile traditions here are quite fluid and ever changing. Even though she is now retired, I am delighted she agreed to give our students a
special tour.
The student’s assignment was to sketch ideas for rugs from the older textiles on display at the museum. I was uncertain if they would feel comfortable sketching and so last week, on our final day of class before leaving for our ‘field trip’, we took a practise walk down Santander, the main street in Pana. I wanted them to get comfortable sketching so we stopped at textile vendors here and there, pausing to draw design elements from various textiles.
The minute we entered the Museo today they whipped out their sketchbooks. Two of the women brought their small children on the field trip, too. The reality is they don’t have anyone back in their village to tend these toddlers and the only option is to bring them along.
I was disappointed that Soyla didn’t come on the field trip. Her rug was my favorite in the Anderson Center exhibition and she is one of the most talented in the group. Soyla opted not to come on the trip because she is facing all kinds of pressure, she rec’d Q500 for a rug and was away from home in our class for a couple of days. Back in her small village, gossip swirled all around, neighbors speculated where did the money REALLY come from, and what was she REALLY doing in Pana, and how shameful to leave her children. All of this gets back to her husband in the US and when they speak on the phone, he is unkind. She does not know if she should continue with the class. Which is too bad beause she has so few options to earn money. And: she is so talented.
Lucia, the assistant director at OB assures me: if rug hooking is something Soyla really wants to pursue (and it is) Lucia will find a way to get her the support she needs.
If anyone can help Soyla it’s Lucia!!
On the plus side- in the: Ya Win Some Ya Loose Some category, Sindy came on this field trip. I was told her husband did not give her permission to attend but I’ll be damned if she wasn’t at the bus first thing this a.m. Sindy is hugely talented, too.
It’s been a full day. I know they’ll be up early- I seriously doubt any of them have ever slept in past six a.m.- so we’ll continue our work in la mañana. Before the field trip concludes, they will be given their homework assignment for Monday: arrive at class with 2 designs for new rugs based on a textile you saw at the Museo. You must make multiple templates of the design elements in a variety of scale and I want to see all of the
templates, too.”
Pamela Marble, a volunteer medical practitioner who has successfully worked with OB on a number of occasions has developed a curriculum and worked to train our Community Facilitators in women’s anatomy. The Community Facilitators will visit all of our cooperatives in the coming months and a comprehensive health guide will be developed.
The first program was held today, 1 February with Mujeres Artesanas las Rosas group in Pantanatic! We are very excited to see how the program develops and look forward to feedback and suggestions from both the cooperative members and facilitators.
A rug-hooking workshop, lead by renowned rug-hooker Mary Anne Wise, was held January 16-24. Participants learned advanced rug-hooking techniques, explored typical Guatemalan designs and textiles, and learned how to be rug-hooking instructors themselves so that they are now equipped to train the women in their own communities advanced rug-hooking skills.
Oxlajuj B’atz’ would like to extend a warm thank you to Mary Anne Wise, Jody Slocum, and all our staff who worked to make this possible!
Tour Details
Call or email the Thirteen Threads office to schedule your tour. Tours may be customized upon request to meet your groups’ needs and interests.
Phone/Fax: (502) 7762-6245
Email: thirteenthreads@gmail.com
Costs:
$1695 + Airfare (Price is based on double occupancy hotel accommodation. Single occupancy is available for an additional $180.)
Included:
All meals, ground transportation, hotels and admission fees. Hotel accommodation will be 3 star hotels or better that cater to American and European standards (for example: www.hoteldosmundos.com, www.posadadesantiago.com, and www.posadasanpedro.net).
Not Included:
Round trip airfare to Guatemala City, gratuities, personal expenses (shopping purchases, snacks, alcohol, etc.).
Payment:
A deposit of $700 is due at the time of booking. Deposits may be made by check, money order, wire transfer or Visa/Mastercard. The balance of the tour cost is due 30 days prior to departure. Balances may also be paid by check, money order, wire transfer, or Visa/Mastercard. With your authorization, we will automatically bill your credit card when the balance is due.
Cancellation and Refunds: Cancellation and no-show policy: No refund will be issued for no-shows and cancellations made less than five (5) days prior to tour date. A 50% refund will be issued for cancellations made six (6) to twenty-nine (29) days prior to tour date. A full refund minus an administration fee of 10% of the total cost will be issued for cancellations made thirty (30) days or more prior to tour date. We strongly recommend the purchase of travel insurance to all our customers.
Spanish Language: A bilingual guide accompanies the tour. We will often have additional translators to assist in translation from Spanish to one of the many local Mayan languages.
About Oxlajuj B’atz’ (Thirteen Threads): Thirteen Threads is a non-profit indigenous women’s empowerment and non-formal education organization working throughout Guatemala since 2004. Thirteen Threads provides capacity-building skills training to 20 Maya women’s cooperatives throughout rural Guatemala in four program areas: Artisan and Product Development; Democracy and Team Building; Health and Well-Being; and Small Business.
In December 2010, Thirteen Threads opened a Maya Women’s Center & Fair Trade Store, located in a historical building in downtown Panajachel. The Center houses a cooperative Fair Trade store, resource library, community space for workshops and special events, and provides a departure point for tours to the women’s communities.
For more reading:
www.atitlan.com
www.lonelyplanet.com/guatemala
www.visitguatemala.com
www.moon.com/destinations/guatemala/discover-guatemala
Itinerary*:
Day 1: Arrival in Guatemala City. Ground transportation from the airport to Antigua, colonial city and former capitol of Guatemala. Welcome dinner with your tour hosts.
Day 2: Explore the beautiful cobble-stoned streets of Antigua. Visit an artisan’s market and textile museum in the morning, and then travel to Panajachel, the hub of the stunning Lake Atitlan region. Share a group dinner in “Pana” with your hosts.
Day 3: Take a lancha (small motor boat) to San Juan to visit a weaving cooperative that uses natural dye and traditional ikat dying techniques followed by a walking tour of a coffee cooperative’s farm. Enjoy a picnic lunch on the farm grounds before returning to Panajachel.
Day 4: Meet Thirteen Threads staff and find out more about our women’s empowerment work through a presentation at the historical Casa Kaqchikel in our Maya Women’s Center & Fair Trade Store. Travel across Lake Atitlan in a lancha to the town of Santiago Atitlan. Here, intricately embroidered textiles are commonly worn by the indigenous men and women. Take a guided tour of the town, visit a beading group whose elderly members are part of Thirteen Thread’s sister organization Sharing the Dream. Stay overnight at the gorgeous Posada Santiago nestled in a cove on beautiful Lake Atitlan.
Day 5: Learn about the colorful Sololá textiles. Visit weaving, jewelry making, medicinal plant garden and organic cotton-spinning cooperatives, who will share their skills and you will have a chance to practice the age-old craft of weaving.
Day 6: Today we head to Chichicastenango. Visit a rug-hooking and weaving cooperative from the rural mountain town of Quiejel and learn how to hook rugs from recycled cloth with cooperative members. In the afternoon, visit a Maya Healer’s Circle and learn about Maya Cosmo Vision that touches on the philosophy and spirituality of the Maya people and the significance of the Maya calendar. Stay overnight in “Chichi”.
Day 7: Wake up to the best and biggest craft market in Guatemala. Spend the morning exploring the Chichi market on your own. Head back to Panajachel in the afternoon to relax, visit museums and art galleries, or shop.
Day 8: Visit a rug hooking, embroidery and basket-making cooperative in a small community just above Panajachel, overlooking Lake Atitlan. Return to Pana to enjoy the rest of the day at the Nature Reserve, home to rare birds and monkeys; for those adventurous, take the zip-line that skims through the Reserve’s treetops and past a waterfall. Enjoy dinner and marimba music with Thirteen Threads staff and special guests in Casa Kaqchikel’s outdoor performance area.
Day 9: Head back to Antigua with a stopover at the Xeabaj pine needle basket weaving cooperative. Then visit the nearby Iximche ruins— a well-maintained Maya Kaqchikel ruin site with descriptive signs in three languages, and a ceremonial fire site still used today. Share group reflections during our final dinner together in Antigua.
Day 10: Tour ends. Ground transportation provided back to Guatemala City Airport to fly back to the U.S., or you can extend your trip to spend more time in Antigua or visit the famous Tikal ruins in Petén on one of the tours offered through local Guatemalan travel and tour operators.
*Itinerary subject to change without notice.
OB would like to welcome Cheryl Conway, our new Manager of Development and Public Relations. Cheryl comes to us from Ireland with years of experience in economics and development. We would also like to thank Andrea Branchaud for her dedicated time spent at OB and the many contributions she made while here.
When people ask me what I will miss most about life in Guatemala, it’s hard to narrow it down to just one thing. I will miss the view of sparkling Lake Atitlan, resting at the base of volcanoes San Pedro, Toliman and Atitlan. I will miss the friendly nature of the local townspeople, who greet you with a smile and always, a buenos dias. I will miss Sunday market mornings, navigating our way through the rows of ruby red tomatoes, ripe melons and sweet basil. I will miss chilli rellenos, sugary plaintain rellenitos, chicken pepian and piping hot tortillas. And most of all, I will miss Oxlajuj B’atz’.
I never could have imagined that those strange two words – Oxlajuj B’atz’ – would come to mean so much to me. They represent a variety of things – Thirteen Threads, Trece Hilos, Maya women, weavers, sewers, grandmothers, granddaughters, basket-makers, community leaders, and more. And now, to me, they represent two and a half years of memories, growth, laughter, and understanding. For in my time at Oxlajuj B’atz’, I have learned that a small group of dedicated, humble and creative women can actually elicit change. At Oxlajuj B’atz’, the core staff of Lucia, Ramona, Reyna, Leti, Mildre, Gloria, and Nancy are planning, strategizing, practicing to create educational workshops and a social enterprise that improve the lives of over 400 indigenous Maya women. Amidst all the obstacles – mudslides from hurricanes, delayed meetings from logistical disorganization, intra-community bickering from ages-old grudges – we accomplish our goals. It’s a simple, remarkable truth, yet one that always seems to catch me by surprise.
At OB, there is a comfort in the fact that all of our projects are undertaken through the lens of building local capacity and approaching development sustainably. Our Strategic Plan is consulted regularly, our Annual Plan crafted meticulously, our Business Plan scrutinized diligently, our Monitoring & Evaluation system utilized creatively, and our Educational Workshops practiced thoughtfully. And mixed into all of the planning and analyzing is the secret ingredient to our success: everyone cares. Reyna cares about the women who are trying over and over again to create new placemats from vetiver; Mildre cares about why the Chirijquiac group President and Vice President are not getting along; Nancy cares about organizing our supplies, coffee and office space so we can comfortably enjoy our workdays; Gloria cares about the women from Patanatic knowing how to vote on election day; Leti cares enough to remember the names and children’s names of every woman in every group; Lucia cares enough to sacrifice nights away from her four children so that she can finish one more curriculum; and Ramona cares about it all.
Enacting change in developing countries is not easy, and all the fanciest technology tools, statistical knowledge, and well-meaning expatriate advice mean nothing if the beneficiaries themselves are not themselves integrated into decision-making. At OB, 80% of our staff are indigenous Maya women; they live in the same neighborhoods, hold fast to the same values, and work towards the same future. Our plans for the next few years – a member-owned social enterprise, local medicinal plants health promoters within the communities, and teaching burgeoning artisans to themselves be teachers – are purposeful, and aimed at really building local capacity. We have no illusions that it will be easy, but we are all guided by the same notion that having the commitment to do it right is essential.
I have been told over and over again by volunteers, community partners, and visitors alike that we have something unique at Oxlajuj B’atz’. I’ve always known that – it’s easy to feel when I walk in the front door of the Casa Kaqchikel every day and smile. It’s easy to hear if you’re passing by our Monday morning staff meetings and hear laughter escape through the door. It’s easy to know from the look on the faces of the women in the communities stopping by to drop off payment for a micro-loan, a new hooked rug, or to conduct a demographic interview with a facilitator. There is a deep-seeded respect that has been built at Oxlajuj B’atz’ that permeates everything we do; I have learned to love that about Oxlajuj B’atz’. Because of this experience at Oxlajuj B’atz’, I am more patient, kind, creative, and determined. I am confident that I will take every moment with me on my next journey; the lessons of Oxlajuj B’atz’ will keep me fighting for impoverished women around the world all my days through. And I will be forever glad that I took a leap of faith and landed so absolutely perfectly at Oxlajuj B’atz’ in Guatemala.
Andrea J. Branchaud
Former Director of Development & Monitoring and Evaluation
Oxlajuj B’atz’
