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UPAVIM Guatemalan Handicraft Cooperative
Unidas Para Vivir Mejor - United for a Better Life
UPAVIM began in 1990 by a group of ten women and is based in the the community of La Esperanza located on the outskirts of Guatemala City. It began as a squatter settlement with homes constructed of cardboard and tin and has developed to where many homes are now constructed of cement block. The community continues to face problems as in the beginning of illiteracy, unemployment, lack of affordable health care, alcoholism, malnutrition and other serious challenges.
In contrast to such harsh conditions, the name La Esperanza actually means "Hope". Through their efforts, the women of UPAVIM have brought hope to their community. Their vision and resolve has guided their development into a self-governed group dedicated to improving the quality of here through education, health care, job opportunities and the personal development of women.
Through grants, donations and the sale of crafts, UPAVIM has established amedical and dental clinic, medical lab, breast feeding promotion and children's growth monitoring program, scholarship and tutoring project, children's daycare and Montessori school.
In 2002, UPAVIM established the Alternative Learning Center to offer children from La Esperanza and neighboring communities aschool where they do not merely learn by rote the necessary information, but they study in an atmosphere that is pleasant, stimulating, respectful and democratic. The school aims to inspire in the children a desire for learning so that they will keep studying their entire life; teaching them to resolve interpersonal conflicts, to make decisions as group for consideration for individual needs, to respect their peers without discriminating according to race or gender; and to create within them a commitment to their community and their country. With all of this and a healthy sense of self-esteem, our children will achieve their full potential, live in harmony, and solve many of the problems that characterize our lives in La Esperanza and in precarious areas in general.
Currently the Alternative Learning Center has classes from kindergartento fifth grade, attends to over 60 children and employs four teachers. The parents pay a montly fee of Q. 50.00 (US$6.25), members of UPAVIM, pay Q. 25.00 (US$3.25) and UPAVIM awards ten scholarships a year. One huundred percent of the expenses of the school are covered by craft sales.
These programs provide services to thousands of people in La Esperanza and other nearby communities. Some programs are free and the rest charge a low price. These programs are supported by craft sales and other income generating projects as well as international donations and grants.
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