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’