Francisco and Ricardo

We met Francisco and Ricardo in April 2008.

In the small town of Chulumal Tercero, Guatemala, a farmer named Sebastian runs a sewing workshop from his home. His sons Francisco (right) and Ricardo (left, the recognized leader of the little group) work as tailors with two other young men.

They are part of the larger artisan group Ruth and Naomi, whom we first visited in 1993. Ruth and Naomi is a group of war widows who came together after the civil war in the 1980s. Ricardo and Francisco’s grandmother, Anastasia, is one of the original women and still weaves for the group.

In addition to providing steady work for 47 people, Ruth and Naomi has healthcare programs and helps support students with scholarships. They have also built 16 new homes for widows who lost everything during the violence.

Ricardo and Francisco are thankful for this good paying work. They said that without it they would have to go to the United States to look for illegal work, because there are no other good jobs for them in Guatemala.

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