Mercado Global

I have a friend who lived in Guatemala for a summer to improve her Spanish. While there, she interned for an organization that works to empower women by introducing them to the global market with the production of handbags. Here’s one from their currently line:

This organization, Mercado Global, empowers indigenous women in Guatemala to become their own agents of change in their communities. According to their website, 75% of indigenous Guatemalans live below the poverty line and 58% live in extreme poverty.

Additionally, the website reports that through their work, they’ve seen the following improvements in the lives of the artisans they work with, their families, and their communities:

• On average, indigenous children receive an average of 1.9 years worth of education. For the artisans who work with Mercado, almost 100% of their children under 14 are enrolled in school.
• Access to food has more than doubled in the communities where Mercado works
• Nearly 100% of our partner artisans now report having access to electricity and potable water
• Artisans report increased participation in household financial decision making