Timberland Advances Micro-Empowerment Program to Aid Battered Women in Guatemala
The Timberland Clothing Company has awarded United Planet a grant to help fund UP’s Special Project to launch a Laundromat in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. Timberland’s empathy towards this distant city will truly impact the lives of people in need. The Laundromat will be located at one of UP’s Quest destinations, Nuevos Horizantes, a refuge for women to come with their children to escape their abusive husbands. The need of Nuevos Horizantes is crucial in this highly patriarchal society plagued by alcohol, poverty, and lack of government intervention, where domestic abuse is accepted as a norm of life. It is an oasis for women who have no other place to go. The shelter, however, has been struggling to provide for the increasing numbers who arrive there. Unfortunately, many women have to return to their homes because they are financially dependent on their husbands.
The Laundromat will serve as a way for the women to earn a living. Providing them with economic autonomy, the women will learn they can increase their independence with the right means. Furthermore, running and managing the Laundromat will empower the women to assume responsibility and ownership of the operation as well as help them to develop the technical skills and experiences to set up their own small businesses in the future. This independence will inspire confidence in these women and give them the will to move on with their lives.
Timberland is a global leader in the design, engineering and marketing of premium-quality footwear, apparel and accessories for consumers who value the outdoors and their time in it. Timberland's dedication to making quality products is matched by the company's commitment to "doing well and doing good" -- forging powerful partnerships among employees, consumers and service partners to transform the communities in which they live and work.
With the resources provided by the grant from Timberland, United Planet can help the common good by supporting a community in desperate need. Dave Santulli, founder of United Planet, is thankful for Timberland’s commitment to enhancing social and economic prosperity among cultures and giving the organization the opportunity to make a difference. He says, “For most of the women at the shelter where we volunteer, independence and freedom is only a distant thought. Now we can turn that dream into a reality so that they can leave the shelter and live a life of their own making.”
If you have any questions concerning UP fundraising, please do not hesitate to contact us.
