Cassie with Village Nurse
Saludos from Potrerillos, El Paraíso, Honduras! The La Union women’s group has been making churro purses and wallets for more than 5 years. The ever-present churro, or chip, wrappers can be found as trash on the ground in copious amounts in almost any Honduran town. Not only does this project help beautify and improve the environment, it creates a means of income for women in an impoverished rural town. 100% of the funds go directly to the women and their families. Income from this project has assisted with school fees, uniforms, and has improved food security for the women and their families.
Potrerillos, population 250, is a tiny rural town located in the Department of El Paraiso, approximately 3 hours east of Tegucigalpa, the capitol of Honduras. Life in Potrerillos is tranquil and simple, and community members primarily make a living growing corn and beans. La Union consists of 20 hard-working women, ranging from 15 to 65 years of age. The women are dedicated to the project and meet every week. Between caring for children, cooking, and cleaning, the women perfect their churro weaving skill, adding their own individual flavor and color scheme to each purse and wallet. It takes an average of 8 hours to make one churro purse.
The women’s group began as a collaborative project between the town’s nurse, Yojana Edith Cruz, and Peace Corps Volunteer Cassie Chandler. The objective of the group was to meet regularly to discuss relevant health issues. Health prevention education was provided by Cassie, with the goal of improving health within the community. During the fall of 2003, Cassie taught the group how to make the churro purses as a complementary project to an environmental health presentation at a monthly meeting. The women quickly caught on and were intrigued and excited by the project and its future possibilities. The group slowly evolved into a small business. Cassie facilitated the project and helped support the women by organizing the group so that the project could continue operation in a sustainable manner, utilizing local resources and expertise.
La Union has been selling their product in Honduras since the project’s initiation. The purses and wallets from Potrerillos can be found in Valle de Angeles, a traditional Honduran town nestled in the mountains and known for its handmade crafts. The women of Potrerillos also sell their product in stores at the Tegucigalpa airport. La Union has been sending their churro purses to individuals and small stores in the United States for several years. The group is open and excited to collaborate with any possible partner in Honduras or abroad. The group has sold hundreds of purses and wallets and has earned an impressive $8,000+ thus far. These funds have improved the quality of life in Potrerillos and have afforded more opportunities for the women and their families. La Union appreciates your support and hopes that you enjoy their carefully crafted purses and wallets.