TAMBAMBU: Bamboo in Mexico

TAMBAMBU is a group of more than 30 Tenek women and their families in the community of Tampate, San Luis Potosi who are now building a business producing bamboo.

Xanvil is very pleased to be working with this group of very motivated indigenous women to provide new economic opportunities for their communities. 2009 will see the opening of a new bamboo artisan centre, workshop, store and tourism project that is giving new hope and opportunities to these women and their families. With the generous assistance of the Canadian Embassy in Mexico´s small grant program, goverment agencies SEMERNAT, SEDARH and INDESOL along with individual donors Tambambu has begun the task of conserving the local environment and providing a new and sustainable economy for thier families.

Xanvil represents artesans from Chiapas and San Luis Potosi, Mexico in Fair Trade event.

In September of 2007 Xanvil was invited by Mandakaru and The International Fair Trade Association to Bologna Italy to participate in the EQUOLAB stand and the International Nature Salon Fair. We shared a booth with groups of Artisans from India, Columbia, Ecuador and Peru. During a week EQUOLAB sinvited the Italian public to learn about the various hand crafted products produced by indigenous communities that are integrated in Fair Trade networks. Each organization particpated in a discussion of the issues and experiences of their respective organizations and also had the opportunity to market their products to Italian businesses as well as the public in general.