In many rural villages in Belize, women are starting micro-enterprises which are making a real difference in their lives. These village women make handicrafts such as jewellery, needlework and sewing projects. One such village is Indian Church village, located near a major Mayan ruin in Belize called Lamanai. This site is visited by thousands of tourists each year that arrive mostly from cruise ships. Although tourists are able to arrive in comfort, the village is still isolated for the village people since it takes hours to arrive by car.
This year SHARE has provided Indian Church village with two sewing machines. These sewing machines directly help to generate ongoing income for families in this community.
Isolated villages have few options for generating income. This income from selling handicrafts allows families to stay together. Without this income, villagers become transient. Members of the family leave the village to find work, and other families move together into urban areas where there is little work.
In Belize, SHARE has placed 17 sewing machines in schools, communities and with a community development work group. Not only do these sewing machines allow the ladies to make items to sell, but they are also able to sew for their own needs. These sewing machines allow them to make clothing so their children can be dressed the same as other children when they go to high school. Our efforts in providing sewing machines to these villages have been very successful thus far and the villagers are very grateful.