COOPERATION WITH GUATEMALA

ABOUT THE COUNTRY & OUR PARTNERS

Guatemala is the heartland of the ancient Mayan culture, whose origins date back to 2000 BC. With over 16.9 million people, the country is the most populous country in Central America. 50% of Guatemalans are indigenous.

THE COUNTRY & THE CULTURE

The powerful metropolises such as Tikal, Uaxactun, Quiriguá or Yaxha were religious and ceremonial centers as well as trading places. The power of the Maya ended with the conquest in 1524 by the Spanish conquistador Gonzalo de Alvarado. Guatemala remained a Spanish colony until September 15, 1821. The Indian population was expropriated.

In addition to volcanoes and rainforests, you can also find ancient Mayan sites here. Lake Atitlán was formed in a huge volcanic crater and is surrounded by coffee fields and small villages

A historically important person in Guatemala is Rigoberta Menchu, who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1992. Rigoberta Menchú was born as a Quiché Maya in Guatemala. Her family was close to the left-wing guerrilla movement; her father was repeatedly arrested and tortured. At the age of 23, she was a founding member of the organization for the documentation and denunciation of human rights violations.



Traditional events for the rural indigenous population are their local markets. They are places of communication and one can admire the beautiful costumes of the different ethnic groups and their handicrafts. We at KIKOONI offer high-quality handmade products from a collective consisting of a total of 400 women who run their business completely independently.

The collective, which consists of 17 weaving mills, is based in the western highlands of Guatemala. Here, our unique bags and pouches are woven from recycled fabrics (the Huipiles - the typical traditional Guatemalan Mayan blouses) according to ancient Mayan tradition. Our colorful earrings are also handmade from the yarn from the blouses.


Helping people to help themselves is important to us.

PRODUCTS FROM GUATEMALA

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WITH YOUR SUPPORT

and by purchasing a product from our Guatemala collection, you are directly supporting our partners - the women's collectives in the highlands of Guatemala! The hand-woven cosmetic bags are of the best quality, traditionally made with a "back-strap" loom and are virtually indestructible. We are happy to pay a price that is appropriate for the work, want to help people help themselves and help improve the standard of living of women and their families by working with us!

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