Social Enterprise, what is it?

Social Enterprise uses profits from business to give back to social programs. During our travels throughout Mexico, we are always observing, interacting, networking and identifying projects we think are of value, given their characteristics of empowerment and sustainability. Some of these may be short, medium or long term.

It would be impossible to share our destinations, Mexico, Colombia, Guatemala with our travelers, without identifying positive ways to give back to these beautiful countries and people that have given so much to us.

Some of the projects we have been or are currently involved with, via financial support, consulting, market identification and access (for artisans) include:

• WARP Weave a Real Peace, Student Scholarships, 2017/2018
• Together with Los Amigos del Arte Popular, identifying a wonderful training, workshop in San Juan Colorado for use of Natural Dyes, Color Theory and Product Development, 2016/2017
• Supporting Los Amigos del Arte Popular for further Grant Funding, 2018
• Supporting “Fiesta Latina”, an Artisan Festival in Silver Springs, New Mexico, 2018
• Supporting artisans from San Miguel Soyaltepec, Oaxaca to attend, showcase and sell their beautiful embroidery at Fiesta Latina, New Mexico, 2018
• Periodic support of Feria Maestros del Arte, Lake Chapala, Jalisco
• Periodic support for Clean Cooking Stoves in Michoacan. The Patsari stove design requires less wood, given their high combustion design characteristics. And, they are designed with the exhaust system exiting the home.
• Indigo dye workshops in Santiago Niltepec, Isthmus of Tehuantepec, Oaxaca, Current and Ongoing, 2018

Our current project: Providing Financial Support and Consulting to women in Santiago Niltepec, Isthmus of Oaxaca to learn to use indigo to dye threads and fabrics to use or sell to other artisans in the region. This project, “Casa de Indigo” began in March 2018 with a first workshop and is undergoing a 2nd workshop in May 2018. In addition to training in the use of indigo and other natural dyes, the women (and men) will receive instruction on cooperative organization for future integration and community success. We are very proud of this project, the goal being to help the women of Niltepec add value to their natural resource indigo, that grows in this region, for them to have more sustainable livelihoods.

We will continue to identify future projects and ongoing initiatives. To our travelers, “Thank you for your continued support, your travels with Tia Stephanie Tours MAKE a DIFFERENCE.”

Stephanie Schneiderman

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