Photo of the Week: Women Create Opportunities in Guatemala
El Petén has long been one of Guatemala’s poorest areas despite its bounty of natural resources. Gladis Rodriguez recognized the opportunity to use a product found in her community to address both poverty and malnourishment. The answer lay in something highly valued by her Mayan ancestors: the Ramon nut.
El Petén has long been one of Guatemala’s poorest areas despite its bounty of natural resources. Gladis Rodriguez recognized the opportunity to use a product found in her community to address both poverty and malnourishment. The answer lay in something highly valued by her Mayan ancestors: the Ramon nut.
In 2006, she and her friends established Alimentos NutriNaturales, a women-run organization aiming to harvest, process and commercialize Ramon nut food products. TechnoServe recognized the potential for Gladis’ vision and invited her group to participate in Idea Tu Empresa, a national business plan competition. As finalists, Gladis and her team were awarded with $10,000 in seed capital and one-on-one consulting from a seasoned business advisor. The assistance helped Alimentos NutriNaturales to improve its business and create jobs for poor women in the community.