Micaela

Friendship Bridge client since 2008; part of Handmade by Friendship Bridge® since 2018

The daughter of a day laborer and a housewife, Macaela attended school through second grade. Her father died when she was young, and she began working as a housekeeper for another family to earn money.

The Artisan’s History
As a teenager, Macaela met a kind woman who offered to teach her how to machine sew at no cost—Micaela would only have to supply the  materials. The woman taught her how to make aprons, and her skills progressed quickly. She began selling aprons door to door. At 20, she married a man who worked in a shoe factory, and she convinced him that they could start a shoemaking business together. Her husband made the shoes, and Micaela sold them in street markets, carrying the shoes in a basket on her head, along with aprons and blouses that she made.

The Friendship Bridge Impact
Through training and opportunities at artisan fairs, Micaela has consistently improved her product quality over the years. Her first challenge when entering the Handmade by Friendship Bridge® program was learning basic math skills, but now, she manages her accounts and has learned how to budget well. In addition, she’s learned about consistent product measurements, labeling, packaging and shipping details, which has helped her export her products.