Manos Cruceñas Artisan Store

Increasing Income for Artisans

Meet Clara Mendoza, a talented weaver of beautiful scarves, bags and other products for our Monos Cruceñas Artisan Strore. Clara has worked as a dedicated artisan with Manos Cruceñas for over four years, and is passionate about weaving traditional designs into modern products. Her income grew by 29% in the first quarter of this year!

As sales are steadily growing in our retail store, income that goes directly back to the artisans is growing at an even higher rate due to a greater focus on products that use handmade local textiles. This increased income helps women like Clara better support their families, improving nutritional and educational outcomes for their children.

Local Entrepreneurs Develop Business Skills

Our Business Management and Business Plan Course for Entrepreneurs has now advanced to its fourth module. Designed to empower local entrepreneurs—particularly those with businesses focused on addressing social, environmental, or community challenges—the course provides guidance through their early stages, from startup to initial growth.

So far, participants have demonstrated exceptional commitment to the training process, reflected in their class participation and the high quality of their assignments. The course fosters a collaborative learning environment, blending theoretical knowledge with immediate practical applications. Alma Cuy, the course instructor, has observed an improvement in participants' confidence, attributing this growth to the program’s hands-on methodology.

As the course continues, we look forward to seeing the business plans developed by these entrepreneurs. Our goal is to provide personalized consulting, implementation support, and guidance to help them compete for seed capital and strengthen their businesses.

Investing in Excellence: Amigos Supports 10

Outstanding Students

Amigos continues its partnership with the Universidad del Valle de Guatemala (UVG), one of the most prestigious educational institutions in the region. The university has a private middle and high school on its campus, where 10 outstanding students from Santa Cruz are currently studying.



With a well rounded educational approach, UVG provides a scientific and technical methodology that is exceptional in the area, while emphasizing critical thinking, social skills, and personal development at the same time.

For this transformative opportunity, Amigos selected the students based on their demonstrated leadership, social responsibility, and commitment to helping their communities.

Amigos covers the full cost of tuition, families commit to covering transportation, food and book expenses. This shared responsibility has fostered greater commitment from both students and their families throughout the program, and opens the door to an incredible new opportunity.

You may also consider...

Become a monthly donor

Make your monthly contribution and help amplify our work in Santa Cruz.

Join our Legacy Program

By adding a gift to Amigos in your will, you can ensure that your support will last for years to come.