Graduation Party

On Tuesday night we had a party in La Sala to celebrate the graduation of eight of the students on our scholarship program. It was a fun night with the participation of all the high school students from the sixth communities, a total of 26 teenage kids...

Each community prepared different performances for the night and we had a little competition on 5 categories: mimic, singing, traditional storytelling, poetry and traditional dancing.

Some of the performances were celeritous and others very dramatic. I really enjoy the traditional dancing category. Quiejel delighted us with a dance called “stealing the girlfriend” with 3 men competing for the love of a pretty lady.

The bunch from San Juan La Laguna represented the San Simon dance with offerings, candles, and a flesh San Simon including the hat and the cigar. That was a laugh!

Each graduated student gave a little talk about their expectations for the future and they were all very thankful for the opportunities the scholarship had provided them.

A very enjoyable night. Congratulations to all the graduates!!!!

Remembering Jane Mintz

This week marks the anniversary of the loss of our Founder, Jane Mintz. While I never had the chance to know Jane, since taking on this position as Director of her Foundation, I have seen the amazing legacy that she left behind. Known around here as Juana, she has clearly not left the hearts and minds of the many lives she touched.
Not only was she a talented weaver, social worker, and friend to many, she also was an incredibly giving soul.
Over the years, Jane helped so many Guatemalan families by providing them with support and encouragement during very dark times in Guatemala. She worked to promote Maya traditional crafts so that Maya women could feed their families. She brought in designers and educators to help the women learn new skills to build on their artistry. Her efforts launched a huge Fair Trade program for women artisans in six villages.
She started a mother garden of medicinal plants in the hope that Maya families could re-learn lost knowledge of healing plants and that effort has now expanded into our Medicinal Plant education programs.
Jane began nutrition programs, sex education programs, and scholarship programs so our artisan´s children to go to school and hopefully move out of the cycle of poverty.
This is just a small list of her many accomplishments. What a full life!
Each day here at Maya Traditions, as we plan and re-organize and work to make this legacy grow and thrive, I ask myself...are we staying with the goals of Jane? Are we living up to her dreams?
It is hard to live someone else´s dream. It is harder to fill such big shoes. But, in honor of her work and passion, and in honor of the many Maya families that depend on our support, we work to keep building these relationships in our community as well as abroad.
This time is one of reflection on a life well-lived and well-loved. I wish I could have known such an amazing woman. My knowing only comes from the stories I hear of her life. Through that, I have a small glipse of who she was...
Maybe you, too, have stories of Jane? Maybe you could take a minute to share them with us?
You can post your stories here. Or just take a minute to remember.
Thank you, Jane.

Robin Smith
Exec. Director
F.T.M. 

Leadership and Initiative Workshop: Chuacruz and Patanatic November 11th

On Thursday November 11^th I visited the communities of Chuacruz and Patanatic to continue with the replications of the Leadership and Initiative Workshop.  The format of the workshops was then same as the previous workshops I had attended   The groups, led by Maya Traditions’ scholarship students discussed the various problem in their communities, made lists of these problems, and then identified one problem that they collectively decided is the most important.  The causes and effects of these problems as well as the possible steps to work towards a solution were then discussed.  As in the previous workshops in the communities, I am continually impressed by the participatory attitudes of the women.  They do not need much encouragement to express their opinions and thoughts.

In Chuacruz the major environmental problem of the community was identified as deforestation and the major social problem as alcoholism. It was interesting though, that when the women voted on which problem they wanted to work on and discuss, the overwhelming response was deforestation. The women were asked why they chose deforestation over alcoholism and after a long discussion in Kaqchiquel, the response was that it is easier to develop solutions for deforestation, because alcoholism is disease.  This is a themes I have seen in various communities.  The women and students are aware of the drastic social problems that affect their lives, but opt to develop a project based on an environmental issue that has more concrete and identifiable causes, effects and solutions.

Patanatic decided that the major problem of the community is garbage.  Originally they discussed the idea of the lack of access to and education about medicinal plants as the major problem, but they ultimately decided that garbage is a more important problem and effects the lives of everyone living in the community.

After participating in the workshops in the communities of Chuacruz and Patanatic I was really struck by the importance  of developing strong and dedicated young leaders in the rural communities of Guatemala.  I was especially impressed by the leadership and enthusiasm of Lorenzo a scholarship student from Chirijox.  I can really see in Lorenzo a person who is going to change the lives of the people in his community and in Guatemala.  We asked Lorenzo to accompany us to other communities to support the other scholarship students who are more timid or less comfortable leading a group.  There Was a notable difference in the fluidity of the workshops when Lorenzo was present which I think has a lot to do with his personal confidence the charismatic way in which he involves the participants of the workshops.

 When I asked Dora, she told me that the students only receive one workshop on leadership and initiative skills before they begin to give their own workshops in their home communities.  I think that next year it would be very useful to include a more extensive training in leadership and initiate to the students identified as the leaders of the groups to more effectively prepare them to guide and help the people of their communities.

 I am overall very impressed by the enthusiasm and dedication in which the women and students express themselves and I feel that with a more extensive training on how to be effective and motivational leaders  their efforts will be more long lasting and reaching.  I strongly believe that the format of community education by scholarship student leaders to the women artisans that Maya Traditions utilizes is a very efficacious and also sustainable model, that creates awareness, communication and plants the seeds for change in the rural communities of Guatemala.  The necessity for opening a safe space for dialogue about crucial social and environmental issues among women and youth can clearly be seen in the openness and enthusiasm  in which opinions and ideas are shared in the workshops.  One of the most vital aspects of Maya Traditions work is that it inspires and encourages Maya women and youth to make their voices be heard in a society where these voices are often repressed due to ingrained systematic racism and sexism.

Meet the Artists

San Juan La Laguna is, in my humble opinion, the most picturesque village around Lake Atitlan. The shore line is covered in reed and the horizon is dominated by a tree covered hill known as "indian nose". You can find coffe fields all around and the houses are painted in different colours, some often decorated with huge murals by local artists telling stories about traditional Maya lifestyle.

Andres and Gaspar come from San Juan.

They are both studying Art at Guatemala City with the help of Maya Traditions´scholarship program. This is not easy task for them,  art materials are expensive and the cost of living away from the community means a financial strugle for their families. Andres dropped out a year ago because of financial problems, but things are a bit better now that his older brother has finished his studies and he will be back in track as soon as the new year starts. As you can see in these photographs Andres and Gaspar are very talented and creative artists and they would be delighted to show you their work. if you are planing on visiting San Juan La Laguna, or would like to see or purchase some of their work, get in touch with Maya Traditions and we will defenetely get you in contact with them.

Local School Visits the Garden

This past Friday we had some visitors from a local school, Panajachel Colegio Internacional, visit the medicinal herb garden. Miguel (wearing cap) at the top is explaining to the students about the demonstration plot at the entrance to the gardens. In this area are small samples of the many varieties of plants grown in the garden.

Next the students were led into the greenhouse to see the collection of plants that are grown for selling and replenishing the gardens.


We then proceeded up the hill to look at the tablones/garden plots of the production herbs that are used for harvesting and drying for making medicinal teas, tinctures and salves that are sold locally and in Antigua. At the top of the garden we are showing the compost pile that is used to replenish the soil in the garden beds and also for potting mixtures that are used for the new plants that are grown. The method used is sheet composting which allows for more moisture and nutrient to be retained in the composting process. There were several sheet composting locations in the garden but many were washed out in the mudslide during the storm Agatha

.

Next we put the kids to work, the first group is harvesting Hierba Buena, aka: Mentha spicata or Spearmint useful for treating stomach aches, nausea, diarrhea. The second group is pulling off the best leaves of Albahaca morada, Ocimum micranthum or Purple Basil, useful for treating gastritis, parasites, diarrhea and depression. All of the harvested leaves are cleaned, disinfected and then dried for use as a healing tea.

The students seemed to have a good time and it was helpful to have some extra hands for the harvesting process. There were many interested questions posed by the students and it was good to have their participation. 

Leadership and Initiative Workshop: Chirijox November 3rd

Last Wednesday, November 3^rd,  I traveled with Dora, the director Maya Traditions Education Program, Esti, another volunteer, and Professor Tereso Joj, to the community of Chirijox to participate in the first of the replications of the workshop Leadership and Iniciative, given by Maya Traditions' scholarship students in their home communities.  Chirijox is located in the department of Solola where 94% of the population is indigenous and approximately 76% of the population lives below poverty line.  A major problem in Chirijox is unemployment, as the majority of the people who study, pursue a career in education, and there are not nearly enough schools or teaching positions to employ the abundance of teachers.

We left Panajachel at 7 am on a bus headed for Quetzaltenango, and arrived in Chirijox at 8:30 am.  We got off the bus on the side of the highway and walked up a short dirt path to the home of one of the women artisans with whom Maya Traditions works, where the workshop was to be held.  The workshop was led by Lorenzo Coj Tambriz one of Maya Traditions' scholarship students and included the women artisans of Chirijox and five Lorenzo’s fellow students.  Lorenzo began the workshop by asking the group to think about and discuss the major problems of their particular community.  One women commented that the biggest problem in the community is garbage, and that everyday she sends her kids to pick up  garbage and everyday there is more and more.  

The women and students then divided into four smaller groups to make lists of these problems.  The problems identified ranged from alcoholism to the drying up of rivers to illness.  Professor Tereso Joj commented as he circled amongst the groups, that it was interesting that many of the problems were presented in a positive light; in the statement of the problem a solution was already alluded to.  The groups then reunited and the four lists were combined into one and then redivided into lists of social issues versus environmental issues.  The women and students then voted on one social issue and one environmental issue that they view as the most problematic in their community.  The results were the mistreatment/abuse of women and deforestation.  Although I could not understand the exact words,   I was impressed by the expressiveness women artisans while elaborating on the problems in their communities.  Lorenzo’s peers were a little more hesitant in expressing their ideas, but he encouraged them by saying, “Don’t be afraid friends, its time to leave behind this fear or how else will we move ahead and create change?”

We then took a break to have a lunch of caldo de rez after which we had to to leave to catch the bus back to Panajachel.  The agenda after lunch was to discuss the causes and effects of the two selected issues, and enumerate possible solutions, from which a project will be developed as a group and implemented in the community.

 

I left Chirijox feeling both discouraged and encouraged.  Discouraged by the amount and severity of the problems that affect the daily lives of so many people living in the rural communities of Guatemala, as well as the interconnectedness of the causes and effects of these issues.  I am encouraged though, by the overall eagerness in which the women and students of Chirijox openly discussed the problems that affect their lives and  that Maya Traditions  provides a platform and resources for communication and discussion of these problems.  Communication is the first step in creating change.

Quiejel's School

Last Friday we visited the weaver’s community of Qiejel. They had organized a meeting, as part of the “Initiative & Leadership” workshop, to analyze community problems, choose the most urgent one and work on possible practical solutions for it.

They talked about deforestation, about how the land is not so fertile anymore and the crops don’t grow as they used to; They also talked about how the medical centre is closed because they have no doctors and the ones that come for vaccinations do not speak K’iche language; They also considered the fact that they only have public transportation out of Quiejel on Thursdays and Sundays, but the major concern was, without discussion, the primary school.

The primary school of Qiejel has 8 classrooms. Each classroom is 6x8 mt long and holds 50/60 students per class. The space is so crowded that some kids do not have a place to sit or a desk to write on. The mothers estimate that they would need at least 3 new classrooms for the coming year.  

They would like to build a new school away from the hill where there is danger of landslides in the rainy season, but as a closer solution they are considering the idea of having morning and evening turns to attend school, which would imply the need for more teachers.

Once the kids finish primary school, they have to travel to Chichicastenango in order to continue their high school studies. This means that, if they want to go on with their education, they have to leave at 6am and walk up & down for an hour through a forest path to get to school.

Elena is one of Maya Traditions weavers. Her 3 sons Rogelio, German & Emilio walk to Chichicastenango every day. They realize education is their best chance for a better future and that gives them the strength to keep going. Their determination is admirable and hopefully it will pay off. They truly deserve it!!!

recycled products/ productos reciclados

As you may have already read in the blog, Maya Traditions is organizing a concert/event on the 11th of December in support of a new environmental program.
Part of this project will be workshops with our women weavers on how to create new products out of trash like plastic bags, cans, etc

So this week I would like to introduce you to Ana.

 Ana is a weaver herself, she has a contagious energy and a great creativity. She can make beautiful bags out of plastic trash or fancy earrings from can tops, and she will be teaching these new skills to our lucky weavers.
Ana is very concern about the future of the Maya communities. Women on these communities live mostly from their land, but if we keep contaminating it with chemicals and trash, they will have nothing left for the new generations to come.
She believes it is important to raise awareness about environmental issues and what a better way to do it than putting the women weaving skills to work!

If you live in Panajachel or are planning to visit, you should visit Ana's store "La Señora de Cancuen" in Calle Santander. I am sure you will not leave empty handed!!!


Como seguramente ya habreis leido en el blog, Tradiciones Mayas esta organizando un concierto benefico para financiar un nuevo programa sobre medioambiente el proximo dia 11 de diciembre.
Como parte de este proyecto se impartiran talleres a nuestras tejedoras sobre como confeccionar nuevos productos utilizando bolsas de plastico, los aros de las latas y otros tipos de basura.

Por eso, esta semana me gustaria presentaros a Ana. Ana tambien realiza tejidos, tiene una energia contagiosa y una enorme creatividad. Puede confeccionar bonitos bolsos con plastico usado o elegantes pendientes utilizando los aros de las latas, y sera ella quien se encarge de impartir estos talleres a nuestras afortunadas tejedoras.
Ana esta muy preocupada por el futuro de las comunidades Mayas. Las mujeres de estas comunidades viven principamente de sus cosechas, pero si seguimos contaminadolas con quimicos y basuras no tendran nada que dejar para las futuras generaciones. Por eso cree que es importante concienciar a estas mujeres sobre como les afectan estos problemas medioambientales, y que mejor manera que hacerlo que poniendo sus habilidades como tejedoras a trabajar!
Si vives en Panajachel o estas planeando venir a visitarnos, te recomiendo que visites su tienda "La señora de Cancuen" en la Calle Santander. Seguro que no te vas con las manos vacias!!!