Grupo Mana

Grupo Maná - San Genaro, Lima
Patricia Avila, Bertha Flores, Emilia Serrano, Feliciana Paredes de Lazo

Grupo Maná sews all sorts of products including the colorful mantas which women in the Andes Mountains use to carry their babies. They make placemats, table centers, wine bags, coasters, purses, conference bags, yoga bags, pastoral stoles, bookmarks and much more. Their creativity continues in developing new successful products. They have bought 5 sewing machines with their sales and have a well-lit, organized workshop in one of their homes. They have rotated the workshop and it is now in its 4th location - each year it is a larger and better equipped. Not only do they demonstrate problem solving skills when facing challenges but they embody fair trade values like solidarity in their solutions.  
 
They serve as a model to other groups. For example, when one of the artisans broke her arm, she was unable to sew for 3 weeks. The group decided to divide her share of the work between themselves, and give her the same distribution of income that they would receive.  In addressing the situation in this way, they created their own "insurance". Being sick or laid up didn't mean this member was without pay: the others pitched in her behalf.
 
Grupo Maná works 6-8 hours per day and has been working together since 2002. Their goal is to grow the amount of orders they receive so that they can add five more members (i.e. their daughters). Three have adult-aged, unemployed daughters who are currently being trained.  Other daughters are younger and will have an opportunity to work when they finish high school. Grupo Maná also worked together many years in a community soup kitchen. None were employed, and their economic needs pushed them to think about sewing together.
 
They decided to pool their resources and talents: one woman had finished high school and could keep the books; another knew a little about sewing; and two had very old, used machines that had been passed down in their families.  With the support of the Bridge of Hope Project, they learned about taxes, bookkeeping, and took sewing lessons. In turn, being a part of Grupo Maná's development has provided experience after experience that affirms that Fair Trade works! The women point out that not only have each of them had a stable family income of $200 per month from their work, but they are able to walk to work, have flexibility in times of emergency, and have the support and friendship of one another.