Trip to Hacienda de la Trinidad 
Sat, Mar 7, 9:30am–4pm
Reserve: Center for Global Justice 
Calzada de la Luz 42, 150-0025
300 pesos (incl. transportation, 
translation, comida and guides)

Visit a developing sewing co-op By Betsy Bowman

Angelina Soto, the dynamo behind the women’s sewing coop Hacienda La Trinidad in El Moral, always has a sparkle in her eye, but these days she’s positively bubbling with hope. On March 7, the Center for Global Justice offers a chance to see both the new clothes the sewing co-op has made and its progress. The best way to learn what the center does (in addition to the Snowbird Symposium and summer internship) is to visit one of the villages where the group works to support local folks’ income-producing projects. 

Starting in 1999 with 27 members, Soto worked tirelessly to find small government grants to get the concrete blocks to build a workshop, to obtain sewing machines and fabric, and to get training. She traveled to Guanajuato and Mexico City, pounding on government office doors. Unfortunately some original members, discouraged by working without pay to get the business off the ground, left the co-op. Others left under pressure from their husbands, who didn’t want them working outside of the home. 

Several generous visitors to the co-op have donated money both to the women and to the revolving loan fund of the Center for Global Justice, which has helped the co-op purchase a vehicle. The center’s loan fund charges only two percent interest and has flexible terms for repayment. Soto and the other members have already made their first two payments. 

Soto has learned to drive and can now market the co-op’s wares in neighboring villages. About two years ago, she got 5,000 meters of knit T-shirt material, but hadn’t done anything with it because T-shirts are inexpensive, and too heavy to carry in bulk on a public bus. With a vehicle, she can turn that fabric into thousands of T-shirts and get them to market. In spite of the economic crisis, she and her fellow co-op members are hopeful for the future. 

Betsy Bowman, Ph.D., is a research associate at the Center for Global Justice.