12 Years

Before working in the cooperative, I cleaned and took care of my house. One day, my sister-in-law showed me a basket she had made herself. I was impressed with the level of detail and she seemed proud of her work. This really caught my attention, and I became interested in her work, and learning more about how I might become more involved.

Making baskets has really helped to supplement my own and my sister-in-law’s income. Here in Cusmapa, there are very few jobs for women. Not only have I found a way to improve my livelihood for myself and my family, I also have gained new important skills and friendships. Currently I am president for new members at the cooperative, and my role is to train and teach new women the methods and techniques to create our baskets.

Also, This business has helped my family immensely, because the money we earn is invested back into our children and helping our familes. All our kids are able to stay in school now. There is also electricity in the house. Overall, it really has helped us with many expenses, and we’ve seen an improvement over the last several years.

Depending on the type, its approximately 8 to 24 hours each basket. However, the training before making the baskets is extensive. Teaching the women 1 design takes about 1 week.

Country: Nicaragua

FMSC/Food Parter Facts:. Fabretto Children’s Foundation provides educational and nutritional support to over 12,500 Nicaraguan children every day. FMSC sends over 4 million meals a year to Fabretto to help combat chronic malnutrition in at-risk communities. In addition to feeding programs, Fabretto has created small business programs to provide economic support for artisans in Nicaragua. The FMSC MarketPlace is grateful and honored to work with Fabretto to purchase and sell the beautiful, handmade items made by artisans enrolled in the cooperative programs.

Pine Needle Baskets