Ergonomic benches for Guatemalan backstrap weavers

Support Guatemala weaving

Summary

This project: teaches carpenters how to make the ergonomic bench. It trains weavers to use the bench to protect their health and increase their income potential, while also preserving weaving culture. progress reportread updates from the field

How You Can Help  Help

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Received $1,265 from 23 donations from people like:

Anne ofs summer Kim Walter
Walter

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More Information About this Project

Project Needs and Beneficiaries

The ergonomic bench provides indigenous weavers with relief from pain and physical disability. Unlike the traditional kneeling posture, the ergonomic bench works in harmony with the body. It enables women to produce more textiles of better quality and increase their ability to provide for their families, while preserving their culture. We help carpenters learn to make the bench and we teach weavers to train each other to use the bench well, so that local communities can be self sufficient.

Activities

We provide an educational resource kit to help carpenters increase their skills & livelihood while ensuring that the ergonomic features of the bench are preserved. We provide training to enable women to get maximum benefit from using the bench.

Funding Information

Total Funding Received to Date: $1,265
Remaining Goal to be Funded: $13,695
Total Funding Goal: $14,960

Additional Documentation

This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).

Resources

Why this Project is Important

Potential Long Term Impact

The ergonomic bench helps women increase family income, safely. This project helps local carpenters make benches for women in their communities, & helps women protect their own health while providing better nutrition & education for their children.

Project Message

What used to take me three days to weave now takes two. With the bench I can weave for hours with no pain! My weaving comes out better, with straighter edges and more evenly packed weft.
- Maria, Project beneficiary

Who is Running This Project

Contact

Karen Piegorsch
Founder, Director
4901 N. Calle Luisa
Tucson, AZ 85718
United States
5204001017
Email:

Project Sponsor

The Tech Awards

Organization

Synergo Arts
4901 N. Calle Luisa
Tucson, AZ 85718
United States
(520) 400-1017
http://www.synergoarts.org

Synergo Arts's Current Projects on GlobalGiving

Ergonomic benches for Mexican backstrap weavers
Ergonomic benches for Mexican backstrap weavers

Where this Project is Located

Country

This project is located in GuatemalaGuatemala and can also be found under Economic DevelopmentEconomic Development.

For more information about Guatemala, read the Human Development Report on Guatemala or the Wikipedia entry for Guatemala.

When this Project was Updated

Last Updated

This project was last updated on November 6, 2009.

Date Added to GlobalGiving

This project was added to the GlobalGiving project catalog on August 14, 2007

Latest Update from the Field

Using the start-up kit

By Karen Piegorsch - Project Director, August 17, 2009 04:26 PM

I am excited to report that a carpenter in Guatemala will begin using our start-up kit next month to gear-up for making benches! I’ll be in Guatemala for most of September, working with him and other potential partners for this project. I’ll plan to post an update with photos when I return.

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