Blog
Responsible Consumption: Workshops with students in Chacayá
There is a lot of talk about recycling, about how to use all these plastic bottles, bags and other packaging materials to create something useful or even artistic, giving a value to all the unnecessary packaging, and sometimes with good intention, promoting the...
Cooking with Middle School Students in Chacaya
By Ingrid Paredes, Chacaya Program Coordinator JUSTA organizes activities with the students of the Chacaya Institute in order to stimulate their abilities and improve their education through workshops, chats and holistic routines. This month´s activity was a...
Strength and Perseverance: Catherine reflects on her time working with Sabor del Sol
My name is Catherine. I have a background in fashion and had the opportunity to work with the members of Sabor del Sol for a few months as they were learning to sew on machines and create new designs to expand their business. We focused on aprons but worked on many...
Creative Process Behind Our Sustainable Styles
For a number of months, I have been part of the Global JUST Designs team, working on new products for the 2016 collection. When I design for a company, my first step is always thinking of the person who will wear the final product. I have to put myself into someone...
Envision Festival Bound with Jennifer
As a child, one of my favorite experiences was visiting the International exhibit of my city’s Children’s Museum. I was captivated by the vibrant colors and intricate patterns of the indigenous textiles and dolls. It’s no wonder, then, that I was led by instinct to...
Ida, Global JUST Designs Intern, on Working With Mayan Textiles in Lake Atitlán
My name is Ida came to Lake Atitlán from Finland to do my final-year internship for fashion design school with JUSTA & Global Designs. It was a decision that I made very spontaneously after meeting some travelers with good vibes and stories of this place’s beauty....
A Rural Middle School’s Growth Transforming Its Community
The Power of a School Teen parenthood, poor health, malnutrition and poverty are all a part of life in San Antonio Chacaya, where, traditionally education ended in 5th grade. This changed in 2008 with the founding of a (three year) half-day middle school named...
Pushing the Glass Ceiling with Sewing Machines
In October of 2014, groups of local community leaders of San Marcos La Laguna - including women, youth, political leaders, and a few international residents - met to find solutions to the issues facing their town. After delving into many interrelated problems, the...
Conscious Clothing at Festivals: On the road with Global JUST Designs
The world of transformational festivals is a magical place. One filled with art, wonder, colorful characters, and amazing situations that seem impossible. At festivals, and in every day life, clothing and fashion are a major part of identity. Breaking away...
Konojel. Kaqchikel. Marquenses.
By Kaity Fitzgerald, JUSTA Volunteer at Konojel Community Center Konojel. Kaqchikel.Marquenses. These are words that come to my mind now when I think of Guatemala (or Guatemaya as some say). I spent a fabulous month living in the indigenous Kaqchikel community of San...
Meet New Chacaya Program Coordinator, Stéphanie
By Stéphanie Desruelles, JUSTA's Chacaya Program Coordinator Hello! My name is Stéphanie Desruelles. I am from France and am the new Chacaya Program Coordinator, following in the footsteps of Stephanie Gater, who had been involved in the project for the past seven...
“Eco-Filters for Clean Drinking Water” at Chacaya Middle School, Guatemala
By Stephanie Gater JUSTA's Chacaya Program Coordinator The community of Chacaya lives on the shores of Lake Atitlan, an enchanting and exceptionally beautiful body of water. Their livelihoods are interlaced with the lake - from transportation (my colleagues...
Holistic Artisan Empowerment in Lake Atitlan, Guatemala
In August of 2009 I found myself on Lake Atitlán, Guatemala. I was introduced to this land and its people through working with a friend in her artisan project, and we instantly began working directly with several local women. I was stunned by the beauty and power of...
Stephanie Gater: Yoga as an Educational Tool
I'm Stephanie Gater; I'm from Australia and came to live in Guatemala four months ago to work as JUSTA's Chacaya Program Director. Chacaya is a small remote village on Lake Atitlan, Guatemala. The nearest neighbor to the village is the international Mystical Yoga Farm...
Jackie Mauer on Children’s Education with JUSTA & Konojel
Last month marked the one-year anniversary of Konojel's Children’s Education program. Konojel began 4 years ago as a lunch program for mothers and children who are the most at risk of acute and mal-nutrition. Last year, the lunch program grew to include a Children’s...
Comida Vida: What does nutrition mean to you?
What does access to nutrition and health education mean for students in rural Chacaya, Guatemala? Chacaya is a remote indigenous village of less than 1,000 people on the shores of Lake Atitlan. The students in Chacaya Middle School had the opportunity to take part in...
A Day in the Kem Ajachel Dye Garden
The Kem Ajachel Textile Cooperative, a group of over 70 women, is a Mayan textile haven. All woven textile items in the Global JUST Designs store are constructed by this group of lovely women. The Cooperative Headquarters is nestled in Panajachel Lago Atitlan, with a...