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CARIBBEAN EXPORT DEVELOPMENT AGENCY - CREATE 01CREATIVEDESIGN -THEPRESERVATIONOFTHEMAYACULTURE IS INTHEBAG

The company that started with 6 women making reusable Christmas gift bags, now consolidates 90 women from 8 different vil lages to produce the increasingly diverse handcrafted product line and the impact has been tremendous.

DESIREE ARNOLD MAYA BAGS BELIZE

NestledintherichandnourishedlandscapeofBelize,American environmentalist Judy Bergsma would meet a special group of people – The Mayas. Belize is a country which supports a wide range of climates and habitats, and is also home to a diverse society comprised of many cultures and languages including a large population of Maya people. Living much today as they did 2000 years ago, Bergsma endeavoured to lift impoverished Maya women from the rampant practice of begging in the streets to empowered entrepreneurs owning 42% of a thriving business. It was this desire to make a difference and enfranchise a people who would have contributed significantly to the cultural richness of Belize that led to the birth of MayaBags. Executive Director, Desiree Arnold, speaks ardently about her work and personal involvement in the company that grants the poor Maya women of Southern Belize the welcomed opportunity to provide income for their households. “It is not just a job for me, I am passionate about the things we are doing.” Through collaboration with MayaBags founder Judy Bergsma, Arnold works towards making this organization fully sustainable in her native Belize. The company that started with 6 women making reusable Christmas gift bags, now consolidates 90 women from 8 different villages to produce the increasingly diverse handcrafted product line and the impact has been tremendous. The preservation of this aspect of the Mayan culture directly benefits the families, villages, community and country.

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