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Although the standards of living in some countries throughout Latin America and the Caribbean have been slowly increasing, inequality and poverty continue to be the region's main challenges. According to the United Nations Economic Commission on Latin America and the Caribbean, Latin America is the most unequal region in the world in terms of income distribution. Nearly 25% of the population lives on less than $2 a day. Many of the most marginalized are the indigenous peoples, who represent a wealth of cultures, languages and traditions. Throughout the region, economic conditions are forcing indigenous and other rural inhabitants to leaving their small villages to migrate to the urban centers or north to the USA in search of work to sustain their families.
Our alternative trade and development programs support marginalized groups throughout Latin America and the Caribbean in both impoverished urban neighborhoods as well as rural communities. The sale of their handcrafts and food products provides needed economic alternatives while helping to preserve the cultural identity of these communities.
Where we work in Latin America & the Caribbean:
SERRV works with 22 artisan and farmer organizations in 11 countries in Latin America & the Caribbean: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, and Peru.
Meet some of our artisan and farmer partners in Latin America & the Caribbean:
Asociacion de Artesanos Q'Antati, Bolivia
The Q'ANTATI Artisan Association represents 12 cooperatives with over 450 artisans who are involved in knitting, weaving, and sewing projects as well as the production of musical instruments and ceramics. One of the goals of the Q'ANTATI association is to preserve the culture of the Aymara Indians. Read more about Q'ANTATI.
COOCAFE, Costa Rica
COOCAFE (Consorcio de Cooperativas Cafeteleras de Guanacaste y Montes de Oro R.L.) was created to help a consortium of 6 cooperatives of small coffee farmers in northwestern Costa Rica market their coffee beans after a disastrous plunge in world coffee prices in 1989. Read more about COOCAFE.
Click on the menu to the left to see all of our partners in Latin America and the Caribbean.