Shabby Chic Hammocks

“The armed conflict in Guatemala lasted 36 long years and destroyed many innocent families. It resulted in many exiled families, leaving women widowed, children orphaned and so much sadness, especially in the highlands of our country. It was devastating for many families of our communities, and many women wound up alone.

“The women had to take economic responsibility of their homes. In our towns, girls learn to weave at 6 years old. After the war, the one thing they could do was use their inherited textile skills, passed down from their mothers and grandmothers.

“When the need to feed and educate their children arose, some women began to organize themselves in order to sell their goods as a group and help each other get ahead.

“They started working in a town called Chichicastenango, which is very famous for all of the crafts they create and its large market. As the group grew, younger women started to join, bringing new ideas and wanting to work. My name is Cata and I was invited to join the group in 1998 because I’m a very entrepreneurial and hard-working woman. I proposed organizing ourselves better by making a more official association with a board of directors, and to coordinate with groups from other towns outside of Chichicastenango to seek more working women. Last year, as the group grew, we called ourselves Las Trampas and formed a board of directors and coordinated with other towns, expanding the group further.

“We don’t have funding nor a lot of orders because no one knows us yet, but we are hopeful that our hard work will create a lot of demand so that it can help us improve the quality of life in our community. We’d like the opportunity to share our art with the world.”