Mayan Weaver Photo Courtesy Cojolya
As a weaver, this post is of particular interest to me. Thanks to two former students, Laura Karner and Gabby Curtis who are currently interning at Cojolya in Guatemala, I became aware of this terrific organization.
In 1983, Candis Krummel and Antonia Sosof launched the Cojolya Association of Maya Women Weavers. The goal was to preserve and promote the art of backstrap weaving, an integral part of Mayan culture. They saw this enterprise as a viable way for Mayan women to make a living wage producing their magnificent textiles.
In November, Cojolya was accepted into the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO).
Backstrap loom weaving overhead view
Membership in WFTO certifies that stringent fair trade practices are being followed and offers assurances to consumers that their purchases are benefiting the weavers who produce these beautiful handwoven items.
I invite you to visit the Cojolya website and learn more about this organization and the beautiful textiles they are helping to promote. Click here to see the wonderful variety of products available from these talented artisans and weavers.
Let me know what you think.
Until next time…….
fairtraderjournal.com 
Hello Constance:
Thank you for your generous praise for the work of Cojolya Association. it is wonderful to be included in your most worthwhile blog…we share many of the same commitments, I feel certain.
One detail I noticed is that your tags have Cojolya misspelled….you used an “a” instead of an “o” in COjolya. Could that please be corrected?
Gabby and Laura are thrilled to be here and have already learned a considerable amount about the capabilities of the back-strap loom. Gabby is planning to design products for children and babies while Laura hasn’t quite yet determined her focus.
Thank you again for your enthusiasm….let’s keep in touch!
Candis
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Hello Candis,
It was my pleasure to highlight your organization and the wonderful work you are doing. Laura and Gabby were certainly excited about interning at Cojolya so I am not surprised that they are enjoying their experience there. I may want to consider volunteering myself in the future. My sincerest apologies for misspelling Cojolya. I am a stickler for correct spelling so this is quite unforgivable to me. I guess this goes to show that posting late at night might not be the best idea.
I would love to stay in touch and maybe someday we will actually meet in person. If you ever have something that you think I might be interested in for fairtraderjournal.com, please feel free to pass it along.
Until next time…
Constance
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