(Part 2/3) --------------------------- {pictured above is the lunch I had with an artisan collective of indigenous women that live in San Juan La Laguna (AKA Fleur de San Juan) at my homestay family's casa} --------------------------- So it is with great joy to tell you the other aspect of my journey to Guatemala. I know running around Central America and taking the path unbeaten is a privilege. So when Josh and I booked our one-way tickets I wanted to make sure we spent time giving back to the community that we would be visiting for New Years Eve - Lake Atitlan. It was a serendipitous discovery in my search for volunteer work to find that this same lake was also home to many different artisan villages, specifically textile arts. 😭 As you may have noticed, I’ve recently started a business- @clyeye — refurbishing vintage furniture pieces that most would overlook due to their color or condition and find them their happily ever after home. One of the hardest parts is finding the right fabric to reupholster these pieces in. It was just mind blowing to find that there was a foundation that produced #worldtradefaircertified textiles made by #Mayawomen right on the lake that Josh and I would be celebrating NYE - @mayafoundation. Like, What????????? I learned that Guatemala has one of the highest illiteracy rates in the world. More than half the population live below the poverty line and most indigenous children drop out of school to support their families or because they can not afford the costs of uniforms, books, supplies, tuition, and transportation. The money that goes to this foundation not only supports these artisan collectives of women but also covers the costs towards their children's education amongst other necessary social programs. I was so excited to find out that they offered a homestay experience through the foundation. Josh and I have been with Dona Elena's (one of the original women to have become involved with the foundation since it's beginning, she's 69 years old and has been weaving since she was 10 - she's an angel) family in San Juan Laguna these past two nights. Yesterday, Fleur de San Juan brought us (Cont. in comments) ⤵️