Ix Style – Water For Children

Since Francesca Kennedy was a little girl, she would travel to Guatemala to visit her extended family at the once beautiful Lake Atitlán.

Guatemala means the land of eternal Spring. Many artists and intellectuals over the years have found Guatemala and Lake Atitlán in particular to be a source of inspiration. Pablo Neruda wrote many of his moving poems there, Aldous Huxley, author of “Brave New World” once described it as “one of the most beautiful lakes in the world,” and it is said that Antoine de Saint-Exupéry wrote “The Little Prince” there.

A few years ago, the lake had become contaminated with toxic blue-green algae and she saw children collecting the water to drink. Francesca knew she wanted to do something to help.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSS2bVnEOug

She went to local market during that trip as she had always done and saw the huarache sandals the Mayan artisans were making there. She thought she could help create jobs for the local artisans by having them produce contemporary versions of the styles they were already making to sell abroad, and help provide clean drinking water through the sales of the shoes.

In Guatemala, around 2 out of 3 children go to bed hungry. By empowering artisans in Guatemala through Fair Trade, the artisans become agents of change in their communities and in effect reduce child-malnutrition.

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