A Short Chat About a Long Journey

Two artisans came by last week to work on new jewelry designs for Mercado Global. They were kind enough to offer me some of their time to talk about their lives.

Estela Quisquiná Morales and Rosa Tun Quisquiná, two artisans from Chuacruz.

Estela Quisquiná Morales is the aunt of Rosa Tun Quisquiná. The two women are artisans from Chuacruz and have been partnering with Mercado Global for the past year. Both women speak Kaqchikel as a first language, and they began learning Spanish at around age twenty.

Chuacruz is an isolated community that receives very little tourism. As a result, prior to partnering with Mercado Global, Estela and Rosa were forced to make the two hour trip twice a day to and from Panajachel, a more popular tourist location, to sell their jewelry. Pay was inconsistent, and much of the little money they managed to earn was spent on daily travel expenses.

Nowadays, because of orders they have received through Mercado Global sales, Estela and Rosa, like the other artisans from their community, can work from home. This means less time and money spent on traveling and more time spent caring for their children and producing beautiful artesanias. Please help support these inspiring women by browsing some of their beautiful designs on our e-commerce site.