 The historic town of Trujillo sits along Honduras' Caribbean coast near the spot where Columbus first set foot on the mainland in 1502. The remains of the oldest European fortification in the New World stand in the center a town in a park-like setting. The people of this town, as well as most of the population of Honduras, are afflicted with high unemployment and devastating poverty.
 But along the main road on the east edge of the town is a flicker of economic hope! "Made In Honduras Craft Co-op" - a small project that brings economic empowerment to local artisans is making a big difference in the lives of its members. Approximately 80 artisans from Trujillo and the nearby village of Guadalupe Carney are part of the co-op. Members work on their individual crafts in their own homes and workshops. Membership also includes contributing a small percentage of their sales to the upkeep of the facility and being responsible to be on-site tending the shop two days out of the month. In return these members experience the encouragement and comraderie of fellow artisans as well as a welcoming venue for selling their crafts to passing tourists.
 The development and marketing of their crafts has necessitated each one to see the value of reding, writing, and numeracy within their business. Prior to becoming part of the co-op, virtually none of the artisans could read, write, or do basic math. Now many of them have learned basic literacy and numeracy skills in order to better perform their tasks ~ such as tending shop ~ as part of the team. Additionally a few of them have accepted the challenge of pursuing their elementary or high school education by enrolling in basic courses. Meeting once a week (Saturday), these classes place much of the responsibility of learning on the adult student ~ a significant challenge in addition to tending their families and homes as well as working on their income-generating crafts each day!
Thank you for your interest in these products from "Made in Honduras Craft Co-op"! |
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