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Sewing for Survival:  a Visit to Hacienda La Trinidad Sewing Cooperative

By Betsy Bowman, Research Associate, Center for Global Justice

On Feb. 16, the Center for Global Justice returns to the sewing cooperative Hacienda La Trinidad in El Moral.  There are beautiful blouses made by this coop for sale at the Mujeres Productoras shop at the Center and in stall number 22 in the artesans’ market.  The designers and makers of these blouses banded together in 1999 to start their coop.  Here’s part of their story.

At that time in 1999, there were 26 women involved; today there remain only seven.  The high attrition rate is due to several things.  First, organizing the production of anything is hard work with no immediate pay off.  It takes several years of dedicated, consistent work before a surplus is generated with which to pay salaries. And costs are incurred during this time – legal costs for incorporation, the cost of travel to Guanajuato, Mexico City and San Miguel de Allende for application to municipal, state and federal offices for funding, and other expenses.  The second major problem that the women encountered and that led to the high attrition was the opposition of the husbands.  Mexico is still a traditional, patriarchal society where the husbands rule and wives are not allowed far away from the home.   Sometimes I wonder what the effect of the absence of so many husbands will be on the women of Mexico.  Maybe in another generation we will look back to this time as the beginning of the spread of the women’s movement to the great majority of Mexican women.  Only time will tell.

Meanwhile, the women of the sewing coop need help designing and marketing their products. They also need to find a source of high quality fabrics.  They make school uniforms, young children’s clothes, and women’s clothes.  Their main need now is for a vehicle to market the clothes they make.  Currently they market their wares by carrying them on a public bus to neighboring communities on market day.  The revolving loan fund of the Center for Global Justice has raised USD $2,000 toward a loan for a vehicle for them, but more money is needed, as is a reliable, used, 4-wheel drive vehicle. 

Come join us on Feb. 16 to learn first-hand of their struggles and successes, and also to enjoy a meal including some of the best mole I’ve ever eaten!

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