A journey of resilience- an interview with Anita Cortez
A few days ago we interviewed Anita Cortez, artisan and founder of Atitlan Women Weavers Cooperative, our artisan partner from Guatemala. Anita is Mayan and was born and raised in San Pedro de la Laguna- Lake Atitlan. In 2014, she founded a cooperative of women artisans to help preserve traditional crafts as well as to provide a new source of income for women in her community. She started the cooperative with only 5 women and in the past 4 years it has grown to a team of 25 women, the majority of whom are single mothers. Anita supports her family working at the cooperative and as a part-time tour guide. She also runs a business offering cooking classes for tourists. Anita Cortez- artisan and entrepreneur We asked Anita to share her story and her advice to young women interested in starting their own businesses. TWC: What inspired you to create your cooperative? Anita: The project was inspired by my own personal situation as a single mother, this situation
