Yabala was originally started in 2005, originally started as a non-profit organization after
Hurricane Stan destroyed large parts of Guatemala.
There were two coastal communities in particular that were completely destroyed with mudslides,
thousands of people died in that area of Guatemala, and these two communities during the hurricane
had to walk up 2,500 meters to the highest area of the mountain, an area that's nicknamed
Little Alaska.
Yabala was formed to help them resettle, we provided things such as medicine, first aid,
we helped build houses for the community.
So at that same time the women of the community approached Yabala to ask for help in selling
their textiles, and indigenous women here in Guatemala learn how to do backstrap weaving
as the traditional Mayan women's art form.
So we now work with 30 women in the cooperative that come from two different communities.
In 2010 we finally opened a store in the city of Sheila here in Guatemala to sell the products
of the women.
We're a fair trade business and so we try and pay just wages to the women and really
respect the prices that they put on their products, and the women depend on that income.
And a lot of that goes to paying for food, basic food, it also goes to paying for their
children to continue studying high school.
We also do social programs in the communities, we do micro-credit programs, we also have
a new mothers fund for women weavers that are pregnant, and then we also do every year
we do certain job skills training programs with the youth of the communities.
If someone wants to get involved with Yaval, we're always looking for new customers.
We do look for donations to help fund some of the social programs, such as the job skills
training as well as educational scholarships.
Each year we're trying to increase sales so that eventually our goal is to be 100% self-sustainable
so that the social programs, administrative costs, all that can come out of sales of a
viable business.
Yaval is a Kiche word, and it means hope, so the idea is they're in a new home, a new
place and so Yaval is a hope for a future.
