Americas : February 2007

Guatemala: Fair trade souvenirs for tourists

In the city of Antigua, in the heart of the mountains and volcanoes of Guatemala, standing between two Spanish schools, is the first fair trade boutique in all of Central America. This city, where the divide between rich and poor is so starkly contrasted, survives essentially on tourism, the second source of revenue after the expedition of currencies by the Guatemalan diaspora.

Antigua, with its rich colonial architecture, attracts thousands of tourists every year. Now, those visitors can return home with their bags full of fair trade souvenirs. “The response has been positive,” reports Caroline Marcel, * Uniterra volunteer working in a support capacity with Redturs organisaciò and owner of the fair trade boutique Diez Mil Pueblitos. “People come into the store and tell us how happy they are that this type of concept exists in Guatemala. They love being able to bring home souvenirs from their vacation and to have helped contribute to the development of a place they enjoyed.”

Sales in the five months since the boutique opened have proved that there is a market for such items as candles made from plant grains or tablecloths, placemats, and belts dyed with natural pigments and woven in the country’s traditional methods, all in keeping with fair trade standards. The most popular items at the Antigua shop are also found on the shelves of its Montreal-based counterpart on rue Saint-Denis.

In Guatemala, the fair trade concept is only just becoming known. “At first, most producers had no idea what we were talking about,” says Caroline Marcel. “It was an educational process we went through to teach and inform our future partners.” Always with a view to supporting and reinforcing the capacities of local partners, a trainer will be dispatched from the Montreal boutique in February for a one-year mandate in support of the artists and craftspeople of Antigua.

The existence of Diez Mil Pueblitos was made possible by the financial support of its French homonym, a fair trade boutique that opened in Montreal five years ago. In fact, the entire venture is a tripartite partnership between Dix Milles Villages MondEquitable, Diez Mil Pueblitors, and Redturs (Red de turismo sostenible de Guatemala), which works with 25 native communities all over the small country. “The project allows producers to increase their income, broaden their markets, hone their craftsmanship skills, forge lasting partnerships through a project adapted to the realities of their lives,” notes the fair trade consultant, who has lived in Guatemala for three years. On top of that, fair trade crafts activities led by women have been able to alleviate the hardship of families whose incomes were drastically reduced by the damage caused by Hurricane Stan in October 2005.

This establishment does not only encourage rural development. Working behind the counter at Diez Mil Pueblitos are young people who are considered as being at risk. Through various components of the program, including a partnership with APREDE (Association for the Prevention of Delinquency), there are first-time job opportunities for youths who’ve managed to sever ties with street gangs (where they would have tended to sink further into delinquency, for want of access to basic education and any future prospects.)

In a recent national survey on children’s dreams and ambitions, over 50% of young Guatemalans responded that they do not have a dream. “Given this context, it’s even more important to create and sustain projects that fuel the dreams of artisans, their families, their communities,” says our volunteer. Initiatives like these truly hold the promise of many hopes, especially when tourists are helping preserve the cultural heritage of native Mayan traditions and contributing to a fairer distribution of wealth.

By Hélène Mercier and Myriam Fehmiu

Photos (1) CECI (2) Audrée Courchesne

* Uniterra is an international cooperation programme mobilizing citizens and organizations in Canada and Developing World countries. Its objective is to reduce world poverty by contributing to the UN’s Millennium Development Goals. The Uniterra Programme is an initiative of CECI and WUSC, with support from the CIDA.
www.uniterra.ca