Mercado Global
Providing Artisans with Education and Access to the Global Market
Fast Facts
Location:
Guatemala
Sponsored by:
Alison Long-Poetsch
Grant Years:
2017, 2018, 2019, 2021
Category:
Job Skills, Job Creation
Website:
How Mercado Global Is Making a Difference
Mercado Global links Indigenous artisans in rural Guatemala to international markets, and provides business training and community education programs to help them earn sustainable incomes and build economic independence.
Work of Mercado Global
- Provides access to international sales opportunities for rural Guatemalan artisan cooperatives.
- Delivers business training and financial literacy education paired with programs in leadership and in savings and asset development.
- Distributes tools (sewing machines, looms) and support so artisans can build their capacity.
- Provides community-based education covering health, nutrition, business and leadership in local language contexts.
- Operates a social enterprise model where sales of artisan-made products (bags, accessories) support income and cultural preservation.
Initiatives Supported by Project Redwood
2017: $25,000 to find and train 150 women artisans to make high-quality goods, and to offer business-development assistance.
2018: $25,000 to hire a Technical Training manager to oversee training.
2019: $25,000 to continue to fund training and curriculum development.
2021: $30,000 to fund a Collaboration Manager to extend the Mercado model to new communities.