A Thread of Hope Guatemalan Fair Trade / Eliza Strode
Tribal Affiliation: Maya Tzutujil, K'iche', and Kaqchikel
How to purchase:
Website: http://www.athreadofhope.coop
Website: https://www.athreadofhope.org
Facebook: A Thread of Hope Fair Trade
Email: eliza@athreadofhope.org
WhatsApp: +502-5905-0872
Brochure highlighting our products: https://athreadofhope.org/brochure.pdf
Video: A Quick Video about A Thread of Hope Guatemalan Fair Trade offerings this Holiday Season - Nov 2020
NOTE: Shipping charge is $6 per order for domestic shipments within mainland US. Please inquire for international shipping.
Bio:
A Thread of Hope Guatemalan Fair Trade has been working with over 450 indigenous Maya artisans in co-ops, groups, and families for 20 years. We offer high-quality, beautiful, and useful gifts that give twice! Check out our website to learn more about the artisans and their offerings. We continue to add more products to our website every week.
Beautiful and meaningful Fairly Traded gifts, handcrafted by Maya artisan co-ops in Guatemala. Something for everyone on your gift list, including yourself!
Lightweight bamboo and bamboo chenille scarves and ponchos (incredibly soft!) handwoven on traditional backstrap looms
Beaded jewelry and ornaments/key rings/backpack charms
Face masks
Ornaments and wreaths
Handbags, wallets, coin purses
Rainbow collection
Huipiles (traditional handwoven and hand-embroidered blouses)
Toys, worry dolls, baby shoes, stocking stuffers
Maya Hip Hop music by Tz'utu Kan
Home goods (placemats, runners, baskets, ceramics, pot holders, trivets, and more)
Handcarved coconut shell jewelry
Handwoven camera straps
Faith-related gifts (Yarmulke/Kippot, Clerical Stoles, wooden comfort crosses)
Please donate to our GoFundMe campaign for food security in Santiago Atitlan: https://www.gofundme.com/manage/food-aid-for-maya-in-santiago-atitlan-guatemala
The beginnings of this Fair Trade venture were when Eliza Strode went to Guatemala to learn Spanish after she graduated from social work school in 1997. She happened to meet Mark Camp (now Deputy Executive Director at Cultural Survival) while waiting for a chicken bus in Xela. He had a Fair Trade business, and Eliza had a long-time interest in cooperatives, having previously worked for years for consumer co-ops. Mark shared his list of craft co-ops, and Eliza visited different towns and their co-ops on weekends. Two years later, Asociacion Maya asked her to sell their products at the Cultural Survival Bazaar at the Harvard law school, and A Thread of Hope Guatemalan Fair Trade was born shortly thereafter. Since that beginning, we have added many more Fair Trade artisans' handcrafted products to our offerings. We've learned tons, and have loved working with the artisans and with our customers. Eliza is celebrating 20 years of being a Cultural Survival Bazaar exhibitor. She offers Zoom sessions on a variety of topics about Guatemala. When safe travel is again possible, she invites you to visit the artisans with her, here in Guatemala. Wholesale and fundraising too.