Keynote March 2025
Women’s Month at Creamos
Women’s Month is more than a time for reflection or celebration—it is a call to action. At Creamos, we stand in solidarity with all those breaking barriers and challenging systems of oppression.
Throughout March, our team and participants will come together in spaces of reflection, learning, and action, centering the voices and experiences of women, non-binary, and gender-diverse individuals who push for change and reaffirming that our liberation is bound to one another.
We kicked off the month with a workshop that invited participants to explore empathy, name the social inequalities they face, and examine barriers that shape their realities. From there, we used art and storytelling to amplify voices that are often silenced—creating murals that ask ‘Why do we march?’
“These activities share narratives that make visible the resistance of women in our communities and reflect personal experiences of gender identity and justice,” says Diana Rodriguez, Director of Emotional Support at Creamos.
On March 8, we took to the streets for the “8M march,” standing in solidarity with movements across the world demanding freedom from violence. “For many, this was a first step into collective action; for others, it was a continuation of a lifelong fight,” explains Diana.
We will close the month with a workshop on envisioning the future, inviting participants to write letters to themselves, exchange reflections, and contribute to a final mural titled ‘I build my future when…’. This work is about reclaiming power, fostering self-determination, and building pathways to safer and more just futures.
Diana reflects: “Women’s Month at Creamos is a reminder that our struggle is ongoing and that change is driven by those who refuse to stay silent. It is a time to honor those who came before us, uplift those leading today, and create space for those who will continue the fight.”
Celebrate mi eelo’s anniversary with a gift for a loved one or yourself!
We are celebrating the three-year anniversary of the launch of mi eelo, our women-run income generating program that creates and markets handcrafted, sustainable products.
Please join us for a mindful moment
Roll your shoulders back three times, roll them forward three times, and bring your palms together to stretch your arms to the sky, and slowly bring them down before moving on with the rest of this email.
Highlights
Earlier this month, we piloted “Me Atrevo” workshops to stand alongside participants as they challenge restrictive gender norms, cultivate their autonomy, and develop the emotional tools needed to make choices that lead to self-determination.
On Valentine’s Day, participants challenged the myth of romantic love and reflected on how gender stereotypes have shaped the way we learn to love in a workshop led by our Emotional Support team.
On February 11, Guatemala enacted its first Recycling Law, a long-anticipated change that has significantly impacted the ~30,000 individuals sustaining the country’s informal recycling system, particularly in Zones 3 and 7 where Creamos is located.
The law aims to improve waste management, but its implementation has removed important sources of income for the ~3,000 waste sorters (guajeros) who manually collect recyclables, including many older women who have few other options for employment.
In response, recyclers organized peaceful demonstrations advocating for inclusion in the new system, continued access to recyclables, and a fair transition plan. After truck drivers blocked major roads on February 18, officials reached a resolution: the municipality terminated its contract with the third-party company, recyclables will continue arriving at the landfill, and dialogue tables will be established to explore long-term solutions.
Creamos remains deeply engaged, providing a platform for open dialogue, ensuring that community voices are heard, standing alongside participants as they navigate these changes, and creating pathways into the formal sector and opportunities for those who have long sustained Guatemala’s recycling economy. Our dedication to economic inclusion and stability has never been stronger, and we will continue to advocate for sustainable, community-centered solutions.
