About Us

Grupo de Mujeres- La Union
Potrerillos, El Paraiso, Honduras

[more photos of Potrerillos]

---

Cassie with village nurse

Greetings from Potrerillos, El Paraiso, Honduras! My name is Cassie Chandler and I lived in Potrerillos for two years, working as a health volunteer with the Peace Corps. The purses and wallets sold here are made from recycled "churro bag" wrappers by the women's group, La Union. This group consists of 20 motivated and hard-working women dedicated to improve the quality of life for themselves and their families.

The village nurse and I created La Union almost two years ago. It began with the objective of health education and prevention, and focused on improving the health of the community and children, through the women. As a side project I taught the women how to make these purses and wallets using the ever-present churro trash found along the streets of most all Honduran towns.

Very enthusiastic about the project, the women perfected their skill and we began looking for venues in which to sell our product. Various artisan stores around Honduras including several at the airport now sell the churro purses and wallets. A few stores and many individuals in the United States have also bought our churro products, and to date the women have sold hundreds of purses and wallets, earning over $5,000.00 thus far. This money has improved the quality of life for these women and their families and their children are afforded more opportunities such as furthering their education.

Potrerillos is a tiny rural village (population 250) and is located about 2 hours from the Honduran capitol, Tegucigalpa. Life in Potrerillos is simple and tranquil and the people primarily make a living growing corn and beans. The women in La Union range in age from 15 to 55. They continue to meet every week and work long tedious hours making their famed churro purses and wallets (it takes roughly 8 hours to make a purse).

We are now just beginning to explore a few more market possibilities in the U.S. Since finishing my time in the Peace Corps, the women have continued to stay organized and dedicated to this self-sustaining small business. As these 20 women continue their hard work, I continue to support them, aiding in translation and outreach. We appreciate your support and hope you enjoy our carefully crafted product.