eng.Asociaci¢n de Desarrollo Integral Flor de Algod¢n, ADIFA

8/2/2019 eng.Asociacin de Desarrollo Integral Flor de Algodn, ADIFA

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Business Management Skills and Empowerment

of Achies Indigenous Women

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1. Where does the experience take place?The experience of the association Asociacin de Desarrollo Integral Flor de Algodntakes place in the Village of Chuaperol, Rabinal Municipality, 4.5 kilometers from themunicipal city, 20 minutes by the main road. The municipality is the oldest in the

Department of Baja Verapaz, Guatemala; it was founded in 1537 by Fray Bartolom deLas Casas. The municipality is known by the famous Rabinal Ach, pre-Hispanic dancedplay. It is located 178 kilometers from the City of Guatemala, and 28 from Salam. Itis known for the production of pre-Hispanic pottery and hand-painted bowls. The townis considered one of the most important centers of traditional folk culture ofGuatemala. 81.1% of the population belong to the Mayan Ach ethnic group and speakMayan languages. It is a region of sub-tropical dry forest, wet in a few places, and withsteep slopes and ravines. The area is crossed by Negro, or Chixoy, River that crossesChuacs Sierra.

The main stakeholders of this experience are 12 families from the Ach ethnic group -8women and 4 men-, the administrative council is composed of 4 women and 2 men;the members are widows, single women and families. They are engaged in theproduction of basic grains for self-consumption and handicrafts as main income source.The organization is dedicated to the production of textiles, such as gipiles (typicalvestments), tablecloths, centerpieces, napkins, scarves, hammocks, and fabrics by theyard.

The organization was formed following the violence arising from the internal armedconflict as a womens committee, to overcome said situation.

There are several institutions related with this experience, among them: the FamilyIntegration Center (Centro de Integracin Familiar) (CIF), which strongly supported ontextiles training; SHARE that contributed to the purchase of looms, threads, and alsoto identify markets; AGEXPORT that supported on business management and market

access; PRODEVER, which contributed in organizational training, legalization,organizational strengthening, reproductive health, business management, and theacquisition of incomes, such as threats, sewing machines.

2. What do we learn from this experience? Impact of Achi indigenous womens empowerment on organization, for the

benefit of their families and communities. Promotion of complementary relationships in the families and textiles productive

association. Inclusion of men in areas historically considered only for women. The role of women and the capacities they acquitted in the administration of

resources and income generation.


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Learning Route:

Tools to mainstream gender equity and womens empowerment

in IFADs projects: the experience of Central America

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3. What are the milestones or key moments of this experience?Formation of the organization

The organization was born as a result of the internal armed conflict in Guatemaladeveloped during the 80s, as an alternative to meet their needs.

Many women lost their partners during the conflict which led to a radical change inwomens roles; assuming responsibilities and activities in which they had had no orlittle involvement to raise their children and support other members of the family, suchas parents and grandparents.

For women, this meant to be involved in all farming activities, as working in the plots,in the basic grains chain; at the same time they continued with their domestic andcommunal activities, reinforcing the triple role; needs made them head of households,responsible for supporting their families.

The organization started as womens committee, receiving training in weaving by CIF.The main idea was that women mostly widows- will develop income generatingactivities to support their families, which had been left unprotected by the internalarmed conflict. CIF trained them in the manufacture of textiles.

During 2000-2002, the institution SHARE also supported with textiles manufacturetraining, acquisition of looms, threads and market seeking.

Legal status

During 2003, after a 6 months period of intense organizational training developed by

PRODEVER, the womens committee became an association of integral developmentcomposed of men and women, with legal status that facilitated its access to textilesmarketing. The program strongly promoted associativity as a key element to improvelife conditions; it also instilled the importance of active participation of men andwomen in all development activities of communities, and thus the association iscomposed of men and women.

Men and family involvement in the organization

The integration of men was achieved through the training received by PRODEVERabout the importance of the participation of men and women in productive activities.This process of integration of men was not easy because the men had no patience tostring together the threads or to select colors. Doa Mara Ana says:sometimes theywanted to break the threads; they thought it was the same as going to work to theplot. With the passage of time they learned to work like the women, men todayhandle foot-operated-looms better than women.

It is important to note that the organization needed skilled labor for certain stages ofthe productive chain in which men were included. Men were very interested in joiningthe organization, because they realized that textiles production was a profitableactivity; they desired to learn and develop these skills.


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Members families participated because help was needed to fill orders; they started toget organized and distributed tasks of the entire production chain between familymembers in order to timely deliver orders, and meet other farming and domestic work.It was proven in practice that money generated by sales was useful to cover familiesneeds and if all the members of the family worked together, there will be higherincomes.

Participation of women and training

Women identify that at the beginning they had a lot of problems and weakness thatconstrained their participation, highlighting the following: Problems and weakness:fear to get organized due to the armed conflict, jealous husbands who would not givethem permission to participate, leave the house and receive training, fear to expressthemselves, overload of productive activities, widows with direct responsibilities forproductive activities, such as planting crops and reproductive activities.

They also mentioned some aspects considered as strengths: their high interestin improving and refining the textile work, generating incomes to support theirfamilies, getting organized for the work, and seeking institutional support and training.All these aspects contributed to overcome problems and difficulties.

The organization originated as a purely female organization, initially being trained inthe manufacture of textiles as source of income. They sought institutional support inorder to improve the techniques and obtained financial resources to buy raw materials.Women started to venture with their textiles in the local market with good acceptationand opportunity to obtain incomes for their families.

Women of Chuaperol community gained expertise in textiles; however, textiles havealways been a cultural activity for them performed during their free time. The activityis performed with blackstrap looms, generally in houses patios and corridors; with thesupport of institutions, such as CIF and PRODEVER they have specialized and improved

colors techniques, designs and market-seeking.

PRODEVER invested in training strengthening different aspects, such as administrative,packaging, quality and participation in fairs and business round tables, marketing andcomputer equipment together with the necessary support to design a new collectionand a web page.

With the training in the use of colors, new designs, financial management andaccounting, new opportunities opened for women, other family members encouragedthem. Eventually, they discover that production could be improved by the use of foot-operated-looms, which improved production but required stronger workforce as malelabor. Men were interested because they saw the activity was profitable, it became aproductive activity for the household, sharing tasks and responsibilities and equitable

distribution of generated incomes.

For Achie indigenous women training was essential as it allowed their empowermentdeveloping skills and capacities to generate incomes. PRODEVER contributed withtraining in: communal organization, financial administration and accounting, capacitybuilding for agricultural promoters, business management, gender, womens rights,self-esteem, and domestic violence, among others. This opened their minds,strengthened their textile skills, allow them to speak in public, lead the organization,


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Learning Route:



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seeking the common good of their families with incomes generated by textileproduction.

Women say that training, field visits and technical assistance, turned them into women

with rights and well developed capacities and skills that no one may remove from themand that will be useful for their entire life.

Currently, both men and women are trained in new techniques, fashion design, at firstconsidered only a womens activity and has become the main income source ofChuaperol community, led by one woman. FIDA- AGEXPORT have supported in fashiondesign to present a range of quality products to the market, including variety ofdesigns and colors, both for national and international market.

4. What the results and achievements have been obtained in terms ofmanagement and womens empowerment?

At personal level

Women members of the organization Flor de Algodn developed certain skillsand abilities for their empowerment, such as: financial and accountingadministration, business management, organizational skills, among others.

Women in decision-making positions and leading textile production at householdlevel, which once was considered a cultural activity that didnt generate incomesand today is the main source of incomes for families in Flor de Algodncommunity.

Women have perfected the art of textiles, producing today high quality productsand have created a Control Quality Committee; supported by PRODEVER andAGEXPORT they have exported to Belgium and also to the United States withthe support of Manos Mayas.

Women are leading work at familiar and organizational level; this is reflected inthe distribution of responsibilities to timely comply with requested orders.Women have created a quality control committee for textiles and it is worthemphasizing capacities obtained in resources administration and generation ofassets, such as land.

I bought land for my mother at 3,000 quetzals and there Icultivated milpa and beans that we are about to harvest, tells

Juana Capriel, member of Flor de Algodn.

Revista Mujeres del campo centroamericano, FIDA, RUTA

With the revenues women have been able to acquire land for their families,important aspect considering that culturally women have no access to land.With the administration of resources in hands of women, children education is apriority, life conditions have improved.

Indigenous women have used earnings and profits to improve health andhousing conditions that were precarious. Textiles production has become themain income source for Achies indigenous families that belong to theassociation Flor de Algodn.


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Textile producers that lead this task are teaching the trade to their children,rescuing traditional values of Achi culture, as respect and love for the family,life and nature.

At familiar level

Men and women are involved in textiles productive process, tasks andresponsibilities are assigned in accordance with specific conditions. Forexample, men use back-strap looms that require greater physical effort andwomen are developing all their creativity in the use and combination of colorsand designs.

Families are united, with the participation of all members in the production oftextiles; for this purpose, each member has 2 looms at home, producing thefollowing products: table clothes, napkins, hammocks, handbags, scarves,gipiles, cushions and purses.

Children join the activity on their free time after school, promoting generationalreplacement in textiles production.

Jobs have been created for men and women in the community and in theorganization, before men migrated to other departments in the country andwomen were in charge of poultry and basic grains.

Members of Flor de Algodn have fixed income product of orders from someexporters such as Mujeres Mayas and Agexport, which is the main source ofincome to support their families.

Men have been included in textiles production, which used to be an activityexclusively for women. Currently, production is based on family businesses withthe participation of women, men, youngsters and children.

As consequence of gender awareness promoted by PRODEVER, familybusinesses have been created with mutual support of family members and theorganization.

With the production of high quality table clothes, center pieces and napkins100% cotton, this indigenous Mayan ethnic group has improved its life

conditions. The development of womens skills and abilities in organizational, administrative

and financial areas contributes to the administration of resources and to achievesuccess.

Textile family businesses ensure its growth and consolidation as organization,demonstrating innovation capacity and knowledge required to overcomepoverty without direct government dependence.

Success factors and difficulties in implementation

The interest shown by women in training and improvement of their textiles

techniques, as well as in other areas as accounting, business administration and putinto practice these skills to generate income.

PRODEVER, and other institutions, training support, as well as financial contributions tobuy materials as threats, machines, but above all the confidence in women developingprofitable businesses and improving the lives of their families.


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Challenges

Build an office for the organization and a sales area for textiles, is an issue still to besolved; currently, we dont have this infrastructure to position ourselves better in the

local market.

Members of the organization think that they have not progress as expected in thesearch for more markets and clients to have a fixed market to ensure the income of allfamilies involved in textile production.

A remaining task is to increase the number of members to enter and compete in othermarkets and especially that more families in the community and in nearby areas createfamily business, in order to improve life conditions.

Women in particular say that they expect children to be trained in gender, for them tohave a different future based in equity, and not have to suffer the same discriminationfor being poor and indigenous women.

5. Who are the relevant stakeholder (public and private, inside andoutside the territory) in the development of womens empowerment?

CIF, family integration center: training on textiles production. SHARE, support on back-strap loom. Rural Development Program PRODEVER: promoters training (agriculture, livestock

and social), organizational strengthening, business management, seed capital tobuy supplies, such as threats and sewing machines, fashion design, self-esteem,accounting and financial administration, human rights, gender, among others.

Agexport: support on business administration, design, fashion trends, catalogues,etc.

Association Manos Mayas: they buy textiles to be exported to the United States.6. What tools and good practiced implemented by PRODEVER havecontributed to these achievements?

PRODEVER had teams sensitized on gender issues; said teams have one person foragriculture and other for social issues, one man and one woman, generally from thesame Department and Municipality, fluently in Maya language.

We were provided a program on gender sensitizing and gender training, we gottogether at some members house to listen to gender issues we watched films, plays,all these activities changed our mentality.

Womens participation was always required at trainings, exchange visits; women hadthe opportunity of leaving their houses, visit other municipalities, receiving training atCobn, all the activities were in Maya language.

The most important action of PRODEVER was womens training, thanks to this , we nowhave knowledge to defend us in life, and we have knowledge on the following topics:health, business management, gender, self-esteem, leadership, food security, amongothers.


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7. What are the lessons learned?Gender awareness and training provided by PRODEVER contributed to understand theimportance of womens participation in the development of their families andcommunities, before it was considered that women could only perform activities intheir houses.

Field techniciansemphasis and requirement of including women and men in all theactivities promoted by PRODEVER, contributed to improve womens self-esteem, givingthem the opportunity of taking part in activities once considered only for men.

Gender approach transformed their vision of life, turning it into a vision of familiardevelopment with equitable distribution of activities and responsibilities among allmembers.

For women of Flor de Algodn the textile business is not only a way of earning moneybut also a possibility of working at home, involving all family members in the task andkeeping the family united, which is of great value for Mayan Achies families.

Documents

eng.Asociaci¢n de Desarrollo Integral Flor de Algod¢n, ADIFA