One of our most successful non-dental projects in Guatemala, this organization was formed by a group of women wanting to supplement their family income in order to buy food for their families. The Taltimiche Women’s Weaving Centre was started with assistance from another charity that was involved in the Comitancillo area. The women in the community had lost the ability to do traditional loom weaving; this charity sent a woman from the area to be trained in the lost art form. Once proficient, she returned and taught the other local women the art of weaving. When DFA first travelled to Comitancillo in 1995, the women had two looms housed in an adobe brick building. The women put to use their traditional weaving and crocheting skills, and created beautiful loom-woven materials used in the production of various products that were re-sold by our volunteers at fundraising events. When DFA volunteers got involved, there were 30 women working in the centre. The funds we raised for them allowed them to build a new building (which was dedicated to Bev and Dennis Bedard), purchase a new loom, and hire and train more people.
