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<\/a><\/p>\nFew men know how to make the sandals that the people wear here.\u00a0 Many buy sandals for $15 US a pair.\u00a0 When there are many feet to shod, like William’s 11 kids, that adds up to a lot of money!\u00a0 Sandals only last about 6 months until the leather is so beat up that the sandals are worthless.\u00a0 Since the peoples\u2019 main income is from the sale of crops, money gets pretty tight between harvests.<\/p>\n
Except for planting their crops, there is no work in the mountains.\u00a0 Sometimes, during bean harvest and mango harvest at the coast, the mountain people flock to the lowlands to work the fields.\u00a0 While they are there, they buy new shoes, some cloth to make new clothes, a new pot or two and corn and beans.\u00a0 Our village has two little stores that carry staples and the ubiquitous Coca-Cola, cookies, chips, and candy, but at double the price from stores in town.<\/p>\n Most of the women are wonderful artists.\u00a0 Their clothes are a testimony to their love of color and intricate detail.\u00a0 When women gather, they look at the flowers on each other\u2019s skirts and exchange patterns and ideas.\u00a0 They also are creative in making beaded jewelry \u2013 necklaces, bracelets, and earrings.\u00a0 They embroider cloths to keep their hot-off-the-skillet tortillas warm.\u00a0 They painstakingly embroider colorful bags that take months to finish.\u00a0 They weave beautiful bags on simple looms.<\/p>\n About two years ago, we began buying some of the people\u2019s handicrafts as people needed money.\u00a0 They were able to get more materials to make more items, and so we bought more.\u00a0\u00a0 We found a store on the coast that was interested in selling the Nahuatl crafts to North American tourists and we became middle-men.\u00a0 It gives us pleasure to help the people in providing another source of income.\u00a0 We regularly see women sell a handful of bracelets that they made over time, then head straight to the store to buy oil ($4.00 US a quart), sugar, flour, coffee, blankets, or sandals.\u00a0 Our closest neighbor, a widow with five kids still at home told us, \u201cThank you for providing another way for us to get money.\u00a0 If you didn\u2019t buy the things I make, my kids and I wouldn\u2019t have any food.\u00a0 Now I can work to buy clothes and shoes for my kids and have food to eat.\u201d<\/p>\n We\u2019ve created a site online to introduce the artists who regularly sell bags, bracelets, and other handcrafted items.\u00a0 Check out www.facebook.com\/LasMorasDesigns<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n