In a little town on the outskirts of Managua, Nicaragua, there is a small sewing cooperative that provides big inspiration. On a recent visit to Nicaragua, I had an opportunity to meet some of the women who organized Maquiladora Mujeres, a worker-owned operation. The project was started in the aftermath of 1998's Hurricane Mitch. Said to be the most powerful hurricane in the recorded history of the western hemisphere, the storm displaced thousands of people around Lake Managua. Some, including the women in the sewing co-op, resettled in Ciudad Sandino.
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One of the effects of the disaster was unemployment. In need of work, the women got together and organized a sewing co-op. But there were many incredible hurdles along the way. They had to be trained in running the sewing machines, but that was a minor challenge compared with learning to build their own facility to house their business. The facility stands as a solid testament to their strength and perseverance. Constructed of cement blocks, the large building has plenty of space for numerous sewing machines, cutting tables and a quality inspection area. There are windows along the entire edge of the ceiling that let in light and air. About two and a half years ago, the business began operations when they got their first client, Maggie’s Organics. Maggie’s, a Michigan based company, continues to be their largest client. (Peace Coffee t-shirts come from Maggie’s.)

The women at Maquiladora Mujeres are working to increase their client base and are planning for more growth in the business. Currently, they have twelve full cooperative members and about twenty workers who are on the way to earning full membership. Now that they have steady work, they are facing another problem -- they lack adequate daycare for their children. So for their next project, they plan to build a childcare facility. "Each time we have faced a problem, we looked for a solution," said Rosa Dabila, a founding member of the co-op who currently works as the bookkeeper.

I enjoyed the camaraderie of meeting the women who sew the very same t-shirts that we use to display our Peace Coffee logo. But more importantly, the visit gave me a deeper, more meaningful connection to the work that Peace Coffee is doing as members of our global community. As we strive to use cooperative principles, fair labor practices, and ecological wisdom within our own business, we also seek to support other businesses that demonstrate similar objectives. The decision to use organic t-shirts sewn at a worker owned cooperative was a natural one for Peace Coffee. But our relationship to these women goes beyond our support of their business. We also get support from them because they are a part of the same growing global movement for fair trade and better environmental practices. As each new group steps into the fair trade market, the movement is strengthened as a whole, and we can all make positive change together.

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