BLOG

Rosario Matzar, from the highland community of San Andres, has been working with Mercado Global for ten years. Using her skills to work on orders with retailers like Stitch Fix and Target,  Rosario helps her husband support the family and send their 11 children to school.

For Rosario, the most important part of working at Mercado Global is being able to provide for her family and create a brighter future for her children. Rosario feels confident that her children will be able to secure better jobs in the future because of the education she is able to provide. She hopes that breaking the cycle of poverty now will create better opportunities for her family for generations to come.

“My children can get ahead of life because they are able to stay in school. I hope that I will see my community prosper because of our work."

For Rosario, weaving is not only a profession but also an art that has been passed down through generations in her family. Her mother learned to weave from her mother and was able to pass her skills on to Rosario. It is important to Rosario that her daughters learn to weave as well. While it might not be their job in the future, it is important to her that they keep the tradition alive.

Rosario is not only appreciative of the work she receives as an artisan, but also the technical trainings provided by Mercado Global. She has learned new weaving techniques that she can use to create diverse products and enjoys Community-Based Education trainings, especially those focused on her rights as a woman. Knowing these rights has allowed Rosario to become a leader not only in her home, but in her community as well.

Rosario says that the work of the artisan can be difficult and tiring, but is thankful for the opportunity to work with Mercado Global. She feels extremely fortunate that she has the skills and the ability as an artisan, a mother, and a woman to provide for her family.