La Cooperativa
Lago Atitlán is a lake located in the heart of Guatemala and is a place that many people of the Mayan community as well as other parts of the world call home. It is also a popular stop for travellers who want to experience the diverse landscape and culture that the country has to offer.
Atitlán Women Weavers is a women's weaving cooperative that was established two and a half years ago by a local Mayan woman named Anita. It has since then become a source of income for many women in the community who weave and create products to sell in the shop located by the main docks of San Pedro La Laguna. Some of these products include handmade shawls, hand bags, backpacks, scarves, and traditional clothing that display the vibrant colours and distinct patterns of various regions around the lake. Some of these products are even being sold by friends in other countries. Visit our Shop and Sell page to learn more about these products and how you can help bring them to the world. Our mission is improve economic opportunities for our local women as well as share a beautiful piece of the Mayan culture with the world.
If you're in Guatemala or planning to visit soon, come stop by our shop. We will take you on a tour to learn about traditional techniques used to spin and dye cotton as well as to weave. Learn how we turn raw cotton into beautiful embroidery and find something beautiful to bring home with you!
Atitlán Women Weavers is a women's weaving cooperative that was established two and a half years ago by a local Mayan woman named Anita. It has since then become a source of income for many women in the community who weave and create products to sell in the shop located by the main docks of San Pedro La Laguna. Some of these products include handmade shawls, hand bags, backpacks, scarves, and traditional clothing that display the vibrant colours and distinct patterns of various regions around the lake. Some of these products are even being sold by friends in other countries. Visit our Shop and Sell page to learn more about these products and how you can help bring them to the world. Our mission is improve economic opportunities for our local women as well as share a beautiful piece of the Mayan culture with the world.
If you're in Guatemala or planning to visit soon, come stop by our shop. We will take you on a tour to learn about traditional techniques used to spin and dye cotton as well as to weave. Learn how we turn raw cotton into beautiful embroidery and find something beautiful to bring home with you!
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Meet AnitaAnita Cortez lives in San Pedro and has been dedicated to improving the lives of those in her community through her work. A few years ago, she was blessed with the opportunity to start this cooperative and has since then been working hard to see it grow. She only hopes to give others a better opportunity to succeed in their community.
Anita works part-time as a tour guide and also offers cooking classes to travellers as a way to share a wonderful piece of the Mayan culture with the world. She teaches her students how to cook traditional Guatemalan recipes and offers extra food to families in the neighbourhood. (Interested in learning more or joining a class? Please visit www.mayankitchencookingclass.com) While Anita spends much time caring for her son Emerson and her baby daughter, she contributes valuable time to her church and to a nearby school. She works closely with the school, collecting school supplies and donations of other items to distribute to less privileged children. She is a light and inspiration to many and if you get the chance to meet her, you will be touched by her story! |
Meet some of our dedicated
Women Weavers
At our cooperative, we have 27 women who weave beautiful products to share with visitors and with people across the world. Many of these women are single mothers who provide for their families by selling their products in our shop. Thanks to the support of the local and global community, we can expand our cooperative and continue to grow!
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Our PracticesHere at the cooperative, we value fair practices and are dedicated to the empowerment of each of our women. We encourage them to create any product that they wish and to do it on their own time. By working closely with them, we are also able to ensure the care and support that they need to continue their work in safe environments, and with the sale of each product, the weaver receives 75% of the profits. Traditional techniques are used to spin, dye, and weave the cotton so that the colours and products are made to last. Click the button below to learn more about our weaving practices.
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