Rugs in Teotitlan

Wow! I figured out how to get some pictures up! I just put a few on the blog, and there are more at the link on the Left Hand Side of the Blog; ´Photo Alblums.´ So if you like the teasers... check out the rest of the pics.

This week has been busy for both Matt and myself. We have gotten to know a group that is just in the beginning stages of forming a non-profit organization, and providing microfinancing for small businesses in rural Oaxaca. It has been a lot of fun to talk with them, and Matt has had a lot to share with them about business etc. On Tuesday evening we went with them to visit a small town of about 5,000 that is about half an hour from Oaxaca, called Teotitlan Del Valle. It is very interesting, and here I am going to have to regress a bit to explain, but in the small towns around Oaxaca, many of the towns focus on some kind of production. There is a town close by that almost exclusively makes black pottery. If you live in this town... most likely you do... or will... be involved with this pottery. There is another town that carves wooden animals and paints them in dots with bright colors. The town of Teotitlan makes rugs, or Tapetes. The majority of their income comes from tourist groups coming in on buses to the town specifically to buy rugs. They are really quite beautiful, and are all made on hand looms.
On our trip we got to meet with about 5-8 women who are interested in starting their own businesses making rugs. It sounded like most of them already know how to make the rugs, and often work for someone else who buys the materials and then takes part of the profit. The micro-loans for many of these women would be to enable them to have access to enough capital to buy their own materials and not have to work for someone else. It was a very interesting experience, and also exciting to see the excitement and hope in the women´s eyes, at the possibility of a step forward.

This week we also got ahold of the Salesian Sisters, and are hoping to go and see them on Saturday. It should be a good opportunity to really get to know someone from the order face to face, as all of our other interactions have been over email and the phone to Texas. Wish us well!
That is all I have time to write right now... but will write more soon. Hope all is well for all of you and Que Dios les Bendiga. Matt and Janelle.