Goals

My goal is to reduce poverty in Chiyax II by providing women with the opportunity to form a small business. My role is to create an environment in which the women can be successful. I will: -Share my research of individuals and organizations in Guatemala which specialize in working with women, in the creation of a small business/cooperative and in microfinance. -Continue to research fair trade organizations and businesses in Central Texas which sell weaving products, and initially serve as liaison between Guatemala cooperative and Central Texas vendors. -Share my research of components instrumental to the creation of a long-lasting, profitable cooperatives. From my perspective, the role of the women is to: -Network with and learn from the experts how to create and maintain a cooperative, educating themselves about the options and challenges which they might encounter. -Create the bylaws, procedures and general organization of the cooperative. -If necessary, adapt initial products to specifications of vendors.

Plan

A mixture of qualitative and quantitative data will be used to evaluate progress. The project budget is based on figures from previous correspondence with and trips to Totonicap