"More than anything it is important for women to be capable of managing their resources independently of men." - Hermelinda Pacheco (above right, working with her Redmi colleague Maria)
We asked Hermelinda Pacheco, a Redmi production mentor, why she started Redmi and launched the Catrinka Girls Project, and she said simply that “forced, unpaid work and early marriage” of girls like her is simply “not normal”. She is committed "to make a change in the lives of girls through development of workshops, giving the girls information and training.”
What's Next
After producing their first order of bracelets, Redmi recruited another 37 AO girls to produce the second order, and started identifying additional participants.
To date, the program has reached 3 communities and 80+ girls of ages 15-19 in the Momostenango region. The Redmi leaders are determined to scale their operation and continue to learn how to make salable product while solidifying the skills acquired through AO. In the expansion process, Redmi will work to identify additional AO girls based on two criteria: those that would benefit most from such a program and also those who could be resources and mentors to others. With each successive order of Catrinka bracelets, Redmi and the Catrinka Girl Project hopes to recruit more girls to participate in the co-op while also cultivating a business that produces product our customer loves.
NB: Catrinka thanks the incomparable Rita Vinnik for her invaluable help with this post!
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