UPAVIM members making snuggle bunnies

UPAVIM is an acronym for Unidas Para Vivir Mejor or United to Live Better. UPAVIM is a group of approximately 66 women who live in the marginalized communities of La Esperanza, El Mezquital, Villa Lobos I and II, El Bucaro and La Jolla, in Zone 12 of Guatemala City. The women are all mothers and homemakers. Some are widows, some are abandoned by their husbands, and some confront alcoholism in their families. Many are the sole providers of economic support for their families.

The group was begun in 1988 with the Healthy Baby program installed in the parish of La Esperanza. With the imperative needs of the community the women decided to create products to sell and generate funds. These efforts have permitted them to become a self-sustaining association and to improve the quality of life through education, health care, employment opportunities, and personal development.

Read more about UPAVIM Crafts at www.upavim.org.