To celebrate our work together in 2019 Yabal took our 41 backstrap loom weavers to the Xetulul amusement park, in Retalhuleu, Guatemala. The park is a major tourist destination about 2 hours from their community and is similar to Disney Land. Tourists from all over Central America travel to Guatemala just to visit this the
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Yabal’s women weavers in the rural Guatemalan communities of Pacutama and Chuicutama dream of giving their kids something that they never had- an education. Education is the hope they have for their children to escape poverty and have more options than they themselves had. But education, as all things in Guatemala, has a cost, which is
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above photo credit: Caroline Lindsell This year, Yabal began a new relationship with the artisan cooperative in Chichicastenango, called Utz Batz. They are a group of 10-15 women weavers that have worked together since 2008 as a fair trade artisan cooperative in order to create jobs for themselves. The town of Chichicastenango is famous with
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Inspired by the evening sky and the rolling colors of a moon on the rise. The Luna collection reflects a diverse landscape of rolling hills and deep valleys. The dark shadows and soft reflections of light that only Guatemala can inspire. The Luna collection is a collaboration between Minneapolis designer Araya Jensen and Yabal, some
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As women we never have a break, we are always working. Whereas the men go to work and then come home to relax, women are working from sunrise to sunset. Washing, cooking, collecting firewood, taking care of the children, taking care of the garden, the chickens, preparing the food for tomorrow. And in between those
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Yabal started a small loan program with the community of Chuicutama 7 years ago. After receiving a private donation, we asked the community what project they would like to use the money for. The community decided to use these funds to create a micro-credit system for their families to rent land for corn cultivation. As these families
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Is this you?… ∇ You are a designer, boutique hotel, or fashion line looking for a way to source your home decor or fashion accessories in an ethical and sustainable process. ∇ You want to outsource your production in a way that empowers artisans. ∇ You care about quality and one-of-a-kind handmade techniques ∇ Customer
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Excerpt from an article in Handwoven and Interweave magazines featuring Yabal Handicrafts: Weaving New Lives and Bringing New Hope February 23, 2017 | Author: Anita Osterhaug Mayan women say that the goddess Ixchel taught their people to weave at the dawn of time. Through millennia of struggle between rival groups, through the founding of a dynasty
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For the class of 2017 graduating seniors… Have you ever stopped and marveled at the artistic masterpiece that is your clothing? Ever wonder how each miniscule thread in your fabric was once a piece of raw cotton on a plant- how that cotton had to then be processed and spun into tiny threads, dyed, dried,
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Yabal just launched our 2017 crowdfunding campaign on the website Indiegogo and we need your help in spreading the word! Please take a moment to visit the campaign here and make a small donation, share with your friends and family, and post on your facebook page. Currently, around 60 indigenous women artisans depend on Yabal’s Fair Trade weaving
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