Rosalia’s Beaded Crafts

Rosalía grew up in a small town on the shores of Lake Atitlán. Nestled between a pair of green volcanoes, Santiago Atitlán was quiet yet vibrant, its markets brimming with textiles crafted by its majority-Mayan inhabitants.

Rosalía, too, was a craftswoman. At just 15 years old, she courageously launched her own small business selling beaded jewelry at the docks. Rosalía transformed tiny beads into necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and her signature piece: a hummingbird figurine, a local symbol of life and resilience. But she knew it was about more than just the product: it was also about presentation.

As her primary audience was tourists, Rosalía taught herself to greet and present her products in several languages—French, English, Italian, Hebrew, and Dutch—breaking language barriers to expand her reach and grow her business.

For over twenty years, Rosalía grew her business, providing others in her community with employment. She also grew her family, becoming a mother of four.

Then the pandemic hit, and the tourists vanished.

Weathering the Storm

Tourism collapsed, and her business faced devastating losses. Suddenly, the only way Rosalía could support her children, pay tuition, and cover household expenses was gone. Similarly, her employees lost their means of income.

But where many would have given up, Rosalía didn’t.

She connected with AMG Guatemala, a partner of Partners Worldwide, after learning about them at her son’s school. With the support of Partners Worldwide and AMG Guatemala, Rosalía strengthened her business vision. Through training in finance and marketing, she developed pathways to sell her products nationwide, decreasing reliance on tourism alone.

With faith and determination, Rosalía reopened stronger than ever before.