products & Services
We view the generation of income that comes from the linking of rural groups to multiple markets as a tool for human development. The empowerment of individuals, as a response to their ability to promote a better life for themselves and their families, results in the personal changes needed to improve their lives. Community members are better able to seek out education, health care, and to start to exercise their political and social rights.
Linking
The participation of Kiej in the communities where we work with starts with a commercialization vision. Market linking is how the last link of the vertically integrated production chain is established. This step finalizes the production process and converts individual labor into the income that drives social improvement of the communities involved.
This linking is carried out in several ways, depending on the products, the needs of each group, and market demands. The introduction into markets may be carried out facilitated by an alliance with Kiej de los Bosques, through its brands Wakami, Maya Botanika or in an independent way determined by the producers.
The linking process, in the packaging sector has proven to be a reliable income generator, allowing more people to benefit from the link. An example of this is the alliance between Licorera Nacional and Nativos, the local micro company hatched by Kiej in Jocotán, Chiquimula, where the rings for the worldwide renown Zacapa Centenario rum are produced.
 |
Wakamiis a brand that consolidates the productions of several groups of artisans, and wants to share with the World what we experience everyday living in Guatemala, a country with many challenges, and a great potential to accomplish them, when we connect to people through our products - products that enrich the life of the persons who buy them and change the life of the persons who produce them. Our products tell stories about better livelihoods for all, about opportunities, about fashion and prosperity; our products tell stories about issues of urban societies and resolve issues of rural communities. Our products tell stories about us: The people of the Earth! Now, after these years working with wonderful women from rural areas that are able to imprint their products with hundreds of years of cultural heritage; markets that are open to products that recover ecosystems and rural economies, mixing the modern colors and trends of today´s fashion with ancestral artisanal techniques; and young designers, that have the potential to mix this two worlds; we are convinced that what started as a dream, is becoming a reality! Wakami groups receive the training needed to understand every step in the commercialization process, the value chain that makes a product profitable in the market, and how to determine a clear route through the entire chain. In order to achieve this, we work with prize structures, open to all individuals involved, with the goal of each person understanding every step of this strategy and participating in the learning process. At the same time, groups are trained in manufacturing and quality control techniques necessary in order for our products to compete in the demanding global market. The distribution channels for this strategy are the following:
Visit us online: www.wakami.net |
 |
Maya BotanikaIt’s a natural textiles products collection, hand-woven in back strap loom with naturally dyed threads, the way Mayan women weave their clothes. Native plants and tree barks become raw materials to give color to these products that reminds us that nature is not just part of ourselves, but that we can live in balance with it. |
 |
Wakami's GateThe new book by Maria Pacheco. |