Alejandra

Alejandra poses with her newly purchased wool. 

Natural Dyes

Black Sapote fruit and a local native plant are used to create dyes for wool. 

View of Teotitlán de Valle

Teotitlán de Valle, famous for its beautiful tapestries, is located in the Tlacolula Valley. We have been working with women in this town since 2008.

Ruins

The church was built using stones from the Zapotec Temple that once stood in its place. 

Preciosa Sangre de Cristo

This beautiful church, Preciosa Sangre de Cristo (Precious Blood of Christ), is located in Teotitlán. Its construction by the Spaniards was completed in the 1751 using stones from a Zapotec Temple, torn down in order to build the church. 

Corn Husks

These corn husks will be used to make delicious tamales!

Tapetes

Many of the women we work with and their families are weavers. The traditional tapetes (rugs) from the region were woven on back strap looms, and the tradition of weaving dates back to 500 B.C. In the 1500s the Spanish introduced the loom.

Teotitlán de Valle

Precious Blood of Christ Church

Wool Yarn

Xii Guieha

The name of Teotitlán is Nahuatl and means "land of gods" and Zapoteco its name is  "Xii Guieha" meaning 'at the foot of the mountain'. Here you can see the town nestled in at the base of the Sierra Juáez mountains. 

Wax Flowers

These flowers made from wax are used widely to decorate the church. 

Juana

With one of her loans, Juana purchased a new comal (ceramic pan) used to cook many traditional foods.

Juana Guadalupe

Juana Guadalupe used her loan to increase her inventory in her store. 

Alejandra's Tapetes

Celia

Before joining our program Celia commuted to Oaxaca everyday for work. She used her first loan from En Vía to open a home-based store, providing her not only with a better income but also allowing her to stay home with her three sons. 

Claudia

Shes invested her loans in a juice and smoothy business, which she operates at the local market in Teotitlán. The market is open daily from 7 to 11 a.m.

Lucila

Lucila has received 4 loans from En Vía. As a single mother of two, Lucila operates several different businesses to generate an income that can provide for her family. Her first loan she used to invest in materials to weave rugs, and purses. With her second loan, she invested in a metal press used to make Obleas (dessert wafers), which she sells in the afternoons. She invested her third loan in materials needed to make tamales, which she sells in the mornings. And finally her fourth, and most recent loan she invested in the typical clothing, which she will sell along side her woven rugs and purses to diversify her product offerings. What an entrepreneur!