From the Guatemalan highlands to the world.

• Date: 01 October 2020
• Author: Seltier, Evelyn

How can we break the vicious cycle of poverty?

Ana Sophia Reyes knows how: connecting traditional artisans in Guatemala with customers in Europe. This solution reflects how important it is to know your marketplace so women in minority communities can receive a fair salary.

It seems to have been fate when back in 2014 Ana Sophia Reyes and her partner Juan Augusto visited the touristic area of Lake Atitlan in Guatemala's southwestern highlands.

Local artisans swarmed across the area trying to sell their handmade goods of Mayan tradition. Nothing unusual.

'But what was shocking to us was they kept reducing the price for their high-quality rugs so that we would finally agree to buy. This was not about making a decent living anymore. This was about pure survival.'

After talking to the artisans about the time and money they invested in producing the rugs, and weighing up costs such as transport, the couple thought:

$25 for a living room rug does not make any sense.

Minority communities of Mayan descent in the remote regions of Guatemala often are forced to choose between preserving their traditions and making a decent living.

Their work and talent are not valued enough in the local market.

'So many are born into a poor economic situation', explains Ana Sophia. How do you break out and create jobs that pay?

Transform, sell, and live well...

Ana Sophia Reyes has always had an entrepreneurial spirit. An industrial engineer by profession, the Guatemalan executive wondered:

'How do you seize strengths and address weaknesses? I like to look for tools...