​March 8th is International Women’s Day, a day dedicated to celebrating women and their achievements.  Sharing the Dream is fortunate to work with many amazing women. Many of the artisans are women, the elders at the Elder Center are primarily women, the majority of the scholarship students are girls and young women, and Sharing the Dream is a women led organization.  We have found that by working with women, it improves their self-esteem.  This improved self-esteem means that their entire family, including their husband, looks at them differently, and often times treat them with more respect and equality. Women also invest in the health, education, and general well-being of their children and family, which leads to positive changes in future generations.

Isabel, our Artisan Development coordinator, is one of these amazing women.  Years ago, a little girl from a mountain village was introduced to Diane.  She wanted to go to school, but her father had died and there wasn’t any money.  Even though she was only in middle school, she would go to school in the morning and weave by candlelight at night to earn a little money.  She was malnourished and the family ate primarily tortillas and salt.  They spoke very little Spanish.  The man who introduced them asked for a scholarship for Isa so that she didn’t have to weave at night.  A generous woman from Sharing the Dream sponsored Isabel through middle and high school. 

Isabel lived at the Sharing the Dream office during high school and cleaned in exchange for her rent.  It was then that we discovered her talent for a variety of handicraft techniques.  Isabel started as an assistant to our Artisan Development coordinator, and when that person left, Isa was hired in that position.  

Years later, Isa is still with Sharing the Dream and is doing a great job. Her shyness disappeared as she became more confident. She is now married and has two little boys, who are healthy, well-nourished, and well loved. Her oldest son goes to school, which he loves. Isa is proud of her family.

What a difference having an opportunity made for this shy village girl. Isa is poised, accomplished, a terrific mother, and a wonderful role model.  Isa was given a chance.  That is what most people here need.  By purchasing a product from Sharing the Dream, you are providing opportunities to people in Guatemala so that they can provide for their families and change their lives. 
https://www.sharingthedream.org/donate.html

​Meet Antonio, our assistant tutor and administrative assistant. Antonio is an important member of our team in Guatemala.  He is always willing to jump into whatever is asked of him, and he finds joy in tutoring the scholarship students. Antonio is from the small community of Chacaya, just outside of Santiago Atitlan. Taking the place of his brother in our scholarship program, he studied hard for five years and graduated with a degree in accounting. He then began his role as tutor and administrative assistant at Sharing the Dream. As a tutor, he travels to meet with scholarship students in Santiago, Panajachel, and Chichicastenango, helping other children to receive the education he did when he was a student.
Antonio is passionate about learning and reading. He particularly enjoys the Reading Circle he runs with the scholarship students. With a smile, he talks about the program, “We created a reading group with the scholarship students. Once a week, the students come to the Tutoring Center to read together. I enjoy it because it is interesting: we need ideas and imagination to share together.” He hopes to continue studying English, to attend university, and to travel so that he can share his experiences and Guatemalan culture. Antonio wants to share the message that anything is possible. His diligent work ethic and kind spirit are among the many reasons we are happy to work with Antonio.

October is fair trade month. What does fair trade mean exactly? Of course, it means paying people fairly, having good working conditions, etc. But what does it mean to me as far as being director of a fair trade nonprofit?

My background isn’t in design or business; I have learned about these things over the past 20 years. My background is in counseling. How does this apply? I think my background has helped in my philosophy of fair trade. To me, it means working with groups that don’t understand some basic things that we take for granted in the U.S. For instance, having high quality products, getting things done on time, and following through on commitments. It is not that the groups don’t know how to do this. I think it is that sometimes when they don’t understand something, people give up on them, and they give up on themselves. It is imperative that when we work with individuals and groups we know how to reframe.

Fair trade can take time.   More time than a lot of people want to give. It is about working with people and teaching. I am always telling the staff, “This is a teaching moment. What do we do to teach?" This philosophy moves slowly, it is easier to just stop working with a group than to figure out what the problem is and work with them to solve it. This happens again and again and sometimes takes years to work with people who have not been to school and speak a language other than Spanish.

About 20 years ago, I went up into the mountains where there were a couple of weaving groups, but no one had been there to work with them. They were really poor, their children were malnourished, and they just seemed hopeless. A woman came to me to buy a purse that she had made. The sewing was terrible. She had a malnourished child on her back and was holding the hand of her other malnourished child.  It would have been easy to give her a little money for the bag, but I didn’t. It was poor quality, and I didn’t want her to think that was okay. Instead, I sat with the group for several hours while we brainstormed. They were just learning sewing. After a couple of hours, I noticed one of the ladies had a scrunchy in her pony tail. I asked about them making scrunchies. It was a good place to start with them, and it was a way they could see progress. I ordered 500 scrunchies. It took quite a few years to sell them all, but meanwhile, we worked with the group on other products, quality, and how to maintain a group. With the help of Dalesburg Lutheran in Vermillion, we helped build a sewing center and a weaving center. The women are now pretty self-supporting. There are still some issues once in a while with this group, but over time they were able to help sustain their families.

Yes, it took twenty years. Twenty years of going to the mountains in overcrowded buses and having the women come to our office, often times traveling six hours each way.  The main thing was not giving up.

Sharing the Dream is about dreams. Dreams that the individuals we work with have for themselves and their families. They want to be able to feed, educate and take care of their children. For me, fair trade means sharing those dreams and working with them to fulfill them. I love this quote by William Yeats. “But I, being poor have only my dreams. I have spread my dreams under your feet. Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.” As a fair trade organization we need to tread softy and be open to the dreams of the people we work with in Guatemala.

Help to support people's dreams for themselves and their families by purchasing fair trade. Celebrate Fair Trade Month with us by saving 10% off your total order in our online store using the coupon code FTMonth at checkout.  Offer is valid only in the online store.  
​https://www.sharingthedream.org/online-store.html

Empowerment is a buzz word in the non-profit community today, but what does it really mean? Oxford Dictionary defines empowerment as “the process of becoming stronger and more confident, especially in controlling one's life and claiming one's rights.”
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Sharing the Dream is different in that we don’t just give handouts, we expect something in return. The scholarship students must show up for their tutoring sessions, complete volunteer hours, and participate in educational activities. Our partner artisan groups are expected to participate in workshops and meetings with our Artisan Development staff to learn new techniques and skills. The elders have formed several committees involved in the running of the Elder Center. They also give back to the Center by volunteering their time helping to prepare meals or taking food home for a neighbor.  We feel that giving back is an important part of each program, because it gets people involved, allows them to feel ownership, and gives them a voice. This voice allows the participant to become stronger and more confident and carries over to other aspects of their lives, thus empowering the individual.

Several months ago, we formed an advisory committee at the Elder Center. When we first started meeting, we would ask the committee for feedback, and they would tell us that everything was wonderful. Although it’s nice to hear that you are doing good work, the point was to know how we can improve. Little by little, the elders have found their voices and now offer thoughtful feedback during the meetings. Many of them had never been asked for their opinion before, and now they participate on a regular basis.

Sharing the Dream is more than just donations and crafts. We are on the ground in Guatemala, working in partnership with the local people, learning from each other and helping our partners to become stronger, more confident, and take control of their own lives and futures. Thank you for being a part of that.  

Please consider making a donation to support Sharing the Dream so that we can continue to work in partnership with the Guatemalan people and help them to become stronger, more confident, and take control of their own lives and futures.  100% of your donation will go to programming.  
https://www.sharingthedream.org/donate.html

​Throughout the year the Artisan Development team stays busy by creating samples of new products, quality checking products, visiting with artisans and keeping our online stores up to date. One of the most important goals of the Artisan Development program is to train the artisans on various topics which will help to facilitate their work and help them to become more self-sustainable.

​This July, we held a two-day workshop at our office in Panajachel and had the participation of six different artisan groups. The workshop focused on commercialization, but we also spoke about other related topics. One of the main focuses was on creating a catalog to showcase products, which the artisans were very interested in. We also brainstormed different ways the various artisan groups can find new markets to sell their products. 

Another important topic of the workshop was on having a board of directors for their group and sharing the responsibility of the board with the whole group. Other topics that we covered were having good communication for orders with clients, a summary of how to calculate prices, and color trends. Calculating prices and color trends are two workshops we have done in the past with various artisan groups. We wanted to take the opportunity to review past workshop content on these topics with the artisans, as they are so important to having a product that sells and is fair to the artisan.  Unfortunately, many artisans in Guatemala are exploited and do not receive a fair wage for their work. When they sell their products on the streets, many times they barely make enough to cover the costs of materials, much less cover their time to make the product.  Sharing the Dream is a registered member of the Fair Trade Federation, and the artisans receive a fair wage which reflects the time and effort that they put into each handmade piece. As part of the Artisan Development program, we also do workshops on quality control, exportation, and adding value to products. 

​One of the most interesting parts of the workshop was hearing the experiences of the artisans and having them share their experiences with one another. Through sharing their experiences, they realized that many of them have faced similar challenges and were able to benefit from the ideas of others about how to overcome those challenges. We love it when the artisans are able to support and learn from each other.  

By participating in the commercialization workshop, the artisans learned new strategies for selling their products, which helps them to find more work and make new contacts with people who can support their businesses. Having a product catalog allows them to reach out to new potential clients in a professional manner which can lead to new orders. When artisans receive work, they are able to support themselves and their families, as well as invest money back into their businesses to continue to help them grow. When they receive an order from a client and are paid a fair wage, it gives them the economic resources to send their children to school and get adequate healthcare for their families, both of which have the power to provide positive generational differences for them and their families. 

By purchasing the crafts in one of our brick and mortar stores in South Dakota, through our Retail Website, or through our Wholesale Website, you help to support the artisans, and you help to support the Artisan Development program so that we are able to continue hosting workshops for the artisans.  You can also make a donation to the Artisan Development program so that we can continue to host workshops for the artisans.  For $20 you can provide a scholarship for an artisan to participate in a workshop or for $200 you can sponsor a one-day long workshop for an artisan group.   https://www.sharingthedream.org/donate.html

​Apart from their required 6 hours of tutoring sessions and 6 hours of volunteer hours a month, the scholarship students have been busy this year.  In February, the students prepared the entertainment for the elder’s Valentine’s Day party.  They sang songs, played games, performed skits, recited a poem, and danced.  The elders loved the activity, and the scholarship students charmed the elders.  It was neat to see the intergenerational exchange. 

​In March, the scholarship students participated in a workshop on environmental education.   They learned about the importance of taking care of the environment and ways that they can do so, such as not using styrofoam and not littering.  Although these things may seem elementary to us, taking care of the environment is something that is not commonly talked about in Guatemala.  After the workshop, the students were assigned to come up with and execute a community service project.  Working with the other scholarship students from their communities, the students planned community clean-up days.  The students from Tzanchaj and Chukmuk spent a morning picking up trash in Santiago, and the students from Chacaya spent a Saturday picking up trash in Chacaya.  We are very proud of the initiative that the students took with this project.

​In April, we held our annual scholarship student get-together. Although we normally have all of the students come together in one town, we decided to hold two get-togethers this year, one in Chichicastenango and one in Santiago.  At both activities, the students listened to a speaker on a topic related to their health and wellbeing.  They also played games and had lunch together.

​This year, we have continued with the reading circle.  Due to the large number of students and the difference in reading levels, we have formed two groups that meet twice a month. During the reading circles, the students read together and then do activities that help them to analyze the readings and think critically.  The reading circles also help to foster a love of reading in the students.

Thank you to Thrivent Financial in the US for all of the grants and for their support to Sharing the Dream in Guatemala. The extra t-shirts go to the scholarship students, where we really strive to fulfill the motto of living generously. ​

Please help us to continue to provide tutoring, worskhops, the reading circle, and other essential support to the scholarship students.  Make a donation to support children in Guatemala.  

Amelia is the first point of health care for the children at Casa Guatemala, as well as community members from the surrounding villages.  As the health care provider, Amelia is responsible for everything from administering first aid to accompanying patients to the nearest public clinic down the river for more serious cases.  In April, Amelia spent a lot of time administering first aid to the children who suffered from minor accidents.  Children can play rough sometimes, and there are lots of scrapes and cuts to be treated.  Amelia is also responsible for treating common ailments, such as stomach aches and ear infections. When a treatment is given to a patient, Amelia works with the heads of the houses at Casa Guatemala to ensure that they understand instructions and that the treatment is being carried out as prescribed. 

Part of Amelia's job is to ensure that not just the curative needs of the children at Casa Guatemala are met, but that preventive measure are taken to ensure a better overall health.  In April, Amelia helped to host a workshop for all of the school children at Casa Guatemala.  The workshop was given by students studying medicine at a local university and focused on the importance of handwashing.  Amelia also gave a workshop to the children at Casa Guatemala in April on viral illnesses, such as colds and chicken pox.  The workshop helped the students to identify the causes of the illnesses,  symptoms, treatment, and prevention.  Amelia was able to tie in this workshop with the handwashing workshop given earlier in the month by the medical students.  

In April, Amelia also helped to apply flouride to all of the children and staff members at Casa Guatemala.  Amelia works with the students and staff at Casa Guatemala to promote good dental hygiene amongst the students, and flouride is an important part of those good dental practices.

The children at Casa Guatemala had a special treat in April- a trip to the Castillo San Felipe, a Spanish colonial fort at the mouth of Lake Izabal and the Rio Dulce.  Amelia helped to prepare the first aid kit and chaperoned the students on the field trip. 

​Please help us to support this life-saving work by making a donation to Sharing the Dream for Amelia's salary. https://www.sharingthedream.org/donate.html. For $20, you can sponsor a day of Amelia’s important work, or for $400 you can sponsor a full month of health care.

Sharing the Dream in Guatemala provides the salary for Amelia, the health promoter at Casa Guatemala.  As the health promoter, Amelia is responsible for health care for all of the children at Casa Guatemala, as well as the surrounding villages.  Her care is essential for the wellbeing of the children and the surrounding communities. Read her March report!

Amelia's position at Casa Guatemala requires a mix of short-term care and education interventions.  This month, Amelia not only treated the sick patients at Casa Guatemala's school and the surrounding communities, but she focused on education with the children and their parents and gave several workshops and talks.  

Her first workshop in March was with the parents of the school children on the topic of family planning.  During the workshop, Amelia explained the importance of family planning, the various methods, and the pros and cons of each method.  In total, 23 mothers attended the workshop. 

Amelia's second workshop in March was with the school children in kindergarten through sixth grade on proper nutrition and nutrients.  So that the children could practice what they learned with a hands-on activity, they made fruit baskets afterwards.  

Another focus of Amelia's work in March was improving communication, both verbal and non-verbal.  She gave several workshops on this topic, one of which was with the older boys and girls at the school and their teachers. The workshop focused on communication, human relations, interpersonal relations, and courtesy.   Amelia also gave a talk to the parents of the school children on improving communication within the family and the effect it has on the family.  Finally, in an effort to improve communication among everyone at Casa Guatemala, Amelia wrote out some rules for communication, which were posted in the school cafeteria.  

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Amelia also accompanied five students from the Casa Guatemala school to a local dentist for follow up care after being seen by a visiting group of dentists.  The students received teeth cleanings, fillings, extractions, and sealants.  Thanks to Amelia, these students were able to not only be seen by the visiting dentists, but they were able to get the follow-up care that they needed after the dentists left.  

​In March, Amelia's duties didn't just consist of providing health care. She was chosen as one of the judges for the school's Mister and Miss Summer contest.   

Please help us to support this life-saving work by making a donation to Sharing the Dream to support Amelia's salary. https://www.sharingthedream.org/donate.html. For $20, you can sponsor a day of Amelia’s important work, or for $400 you can sponsor a full month of health care.

Don't forget, the entire month of May, Sharing the Dream will donate 10% of total orders of $50 or more in our online store to Casa Guatemala's Education program.   Shop now and help to support education in Guatemala.  https://www.sharingthedream.org/online-store.html

For the past several years, Sharing the Dream in Guatemala has sponsored the salary for a health promoter through our partner organization Casa Guatemala. Casa Guatemala is located on the Rio Dulce (sweet river), an eight hour trip away from our offices on Lake Atitlan. The health promoter, Amelia, is responsible for health care for all of the children at Casa Guatemala's school, as well as the surrounding communities. The children from Casa Guatemala come from remote villages and live on-site during the week. Some children stay over the weekends as well due to long travel times. Her care is essential for the wellbeing of the children and the surrounding communities.

Amelia’s position is not just curative health care, but preventative as well. She does workshops with the children and community members on different topics that will help the participants to improve their health and wellness. In February, Amelia held a workshop with the fourth, fifth, and sixth graders about hygiene. The workshop will hopefully help the students to not only have proper hygiene, but to prevent the illnesses that poor hygiene causes.

​Another of Amelia’s responsibilities is to help coordinate visiting medical groups and their activities. In February, Amelia coordinated and accompanied a visiting group of doctors as they held clinics for the school children and some of the surrounding communities. Amelia not only accompanied the visiting group, but she was essential in ensuring that the necessary follow up care was given afterwards.

​In February, Amelia also accompanied sick patients to the local health center down the river to be seen by the doctor there, as well as the nearest laboratory for exams. One of the patients she accompanied to the local health center this month was a young boy who cut his heel. The cut was deep, and the boy ended up receiving 14 stitches in total. Amelia was responsible for overseeing the healing process, and she visited him several times this month to make sure that the injury was clean, correctly dressed, and healing properly.

Please help us to support this life-saving work by making a donation to Sharing the Dream to support Amelia's salary. https://www.sharingthedream.org/donate.html. For $20, you can sponsor a day of Amelia’s important work, or for $400 you can sponsor a full month of health care.
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You can read more about Casa Guatemala's work on their website.