One World Projects
Scented Handwoven Sachets
Scented Handwoven Sachets
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Place these handwoven sachets filled with herbs and spices such as lavender, calendula, peppermint, rosemary and lemongrass in your closets and drawers for a fresh start everyday.
Artisans from Mayaworks use traditional foot treadle looms to weave the fabric and then sew it into various useful products such as these sachets. The non-profit organization Mayaworks supports this and other artisan communities in the central highlands of Guatemala through loans, scholarships and assistance in bringing their products to market.
- Measures 3-3/4” long x 3-1/4” wide x 3/4” thick
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Peace: |
Relaxing Lavender |
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Serenity: |
Calming Lavender and Calendula |
| Alive: | Stimulating mix of Peppermint, Bay Leaf, Orange Peel, Pine, and Cinnamon |
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Wake-up: |
Stimulating mix of Rosemary, Lavender and Lemon Peel |
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Refresh: |
Restorative mix of Lemongrass, Orange Peel, Peppermint, and Bay Leaf |
Handmade in Guatemala and fair trade imported.
Maya Works is a non-profit organization that works with many Mayan artisan communities in Guatemala. The organization works towards finding the right marketing platform for the artisans and their products. Maya Works believes in community development through economic development, and the organization’s ultimate goal is to overcome poverty and illiteracy and to create a fair marketplace where artisans may benefit directly from their work.
Maya Works is associated with over 125 artisans in 6 communities around the central highlands of Guatemala. Apart from market support, Maya Works provides its artisan communities with literacy, skill training, scholarships and micro loans. Maya Works also provides opportunities such as meetings, workshops and international exposure for these artisans, which helps them build their business expertise. The various crafts produced by the artisan partners of Maya Works include, hand woven fabrics, home accents, napkins, aprons, crocheted bags, pouches and corn husk angels and dolls.
Currently, Maya Works provides educational scholarships to 120 young girls from the artisan communities in Guatemala. Similarly, micro loans facilitated by the organization, help these artisans to improve their standards of living and expanding their business.
About the Artisans
About the Artisans
Chichicastenango, Guatemala, has become one of the most important heritage centers in Guatemala during the past 10 years, due to its predominant indigenous Maya Quiche population and their traditional textile products. Yet, despite increased tourism and a renewed interest in traditional Mayan crafts, work opportunities remain few for the indigenous population, many of whom are uneducated and otherwise unemployable.
Enter De Colores Art, a local business that levels the playing field for villagers by offering free training to anyone who demonstrates the initiative to learn a trade. The company employs 30 women and 18 men to knit and embroider textile products, with the option of working at home using materials provided by the company. De Colores recognizes the culture of its Mayan employees, and as such allows flexible hours and gives time off for sowing and harvest days.
De Colores also invests in community education projects by funding two local schools in the neighboring towns of Chujupen y Pachoj, and by providing scholarships to qualifying students.
In addition to stimulating the local economy by creating new jobs, De Colores makes a conscious effort to use recycled materials whenever possible. The reason for this is twofold: to preserve Mayan culture, as recycled textiles showcase traditional knitting patterns that aren’t often seen in newer textiles, and to reduce scraps and waste.
Communities collaborate in the production process, as men work on the biggest textiles and women do the embroidery, crochet and macramé seen in smaller pieces. In some cases, in order to be competitive, sewing machines are used to assemble the finished product, although all the components are handmade and hand embroidered from cotton, wool and/or silk.
