Friendship Bridge

08/29/2026

Sometimes, a simple work trip to a new location turns into something bigger. For Deborah Chandler, that trip was Guatemala. 🇬🇹 💜

After returning from the Peace Corps, Deborah worked with a fair trade organization before the term “fair trade” was commonplace. Through this work, she made two trips to Guatemala to visit artisans.

“It was a life-changing experience. What got me from the start was the warmth of the people, the textile culture that was unlike anything I had ever imagined, and meeting some people I truly wanted in my life,” Deborah said.

Years later, after three published books and countless magazine articles on Guatemala and weaving, our long-time supporter, Betty Toguchi, purchased one of Deborah’s books. As a result, Betty was inspired to write Deborah about her vision to promote Mayan women weavers from different parts of Guatemala.

This eventually resulted in our Master Weavers Collection of Guatemalan huipiles, which Betty funded, and Deborah served as a contributing writer. ✒️ 🧵

Now, you can learn more about Deborah’s experiences at the live virtual event, What I've Learned from Mayan Women: A Conversation with Deborah Chandler, hosted by the Global Satellite Friendship Circle.

Reserve your spot today: https://loom.ly/1rM8JlU

08/29/2026

September is almost here, and that means it's time to invest in your health while improving the lives of women in Guatemala! 💜

Next month, Friendship Bridge is inviting supporters and staff to take on a personal health challenge while raising awareness and funds for our Health for Life program. Through preventive health services, Health for Life helps address the high rates of preventable diseases faced by rural, Indigenous women in Guatemala.

Whether you choose to walk, run, cycle, practice yoga, or give up a habit, your goal can help create healthier futures for our clients. Choose your challenge, take it on solo or with a team, and join our crowdfunding effort to turn every milestone into meaningful impact.

Become a Health for Life crowdfunder today! https://loom.ly/OhIjjXU

08/26/2026

Today, on Women’s Equality Day, we celebrate the progress made toward a more equal world and recognize the work that still remains. 💪 ♀️

At Friendship Bridge, we are committed to the following values, not just today, but all throughout the year:

Gender Equality: Our products and services are exclusively tailored for women, designed to meet their unique needs and preferences. To deliver the most appropriate programs, we actively listen to clients. We prioritize gender equality within our staff and governance: Last year, 65% of promotions were granted to women.

Reducing Inequalities: We deliberately target marginalized populations, including Indigenous Maya women in rural Guatemala, contributing to sustained income growth among the poorest 40% of the population. Additionally, we promote equitable employment practices, ensuring these standards of equality are reflected in our internal operations.

Quality Education: We provide our clients with the educational means necessary to become successful business entrepreneurs in a country marked by one of the highest disparities between rich and poor in Latin America. By focusing on education in addition to microcredit, our clients have the opportunity to share gained skills with family, friends, and community members, creating a ripple effect of empowerment.

08/25/2026

📣 Attention students! ✨
Are you looking for ways to gain leadership skills and engage with your community, while contributing to a meaningful cause?

We'd love to have you join our Youth Ambassador Program (YAP)!

The YAP is recommended for both high school and college-age students who are highly motivated and self-directed, with an interest in global change, women's empowerment, and making a big difference through small actions. Choose one of the following tracks:

Social Media Track: Help us find creative ways to showcase Handmade by Friendship Bridge® artisan goods, made by our clients.

Event Track: Help us plan and host community events to raise funds and awareness for Friendship Bridge.

Apply by September 30: Contact [email protected] for more information.

08/22/2026

Coming up on September 22! ⛰️ 🍁

Enjoy scenic vistas of Summit County Colorado amidst vibrant fall colors along the four-mile Acorn Creek Trail, offering great views of the Gore Range.

Hosted by the Summit County Friendship Circle, all proceeds will help support Friendship Bridge’s Health for Life program: preventive health services provided at no cost to women entrepreneur clients in Guatemala, who are striving to build a more stable future for their families.

Lunch is provided but tickets are limited. Please RSVP by September 18: https://loom.ly/vonzI2w

08/19/2026

Want to calm your mind and strengthen your body while supporting Friendship Bridge? 🧘‍♀️

Come to a Yoga Class for Heath for Life on September 3! 💜

Led by certified yoga instructor M'Lou Wallis of the Genesee Friendship Circle, participants will move through a gentle, grounding flow, get back to basics, and unwind in Golden, Colorado.

Bring your own mat, water, comfortable clothing, and an open heart. Mats are also available at the studio. Beginners are warmly welcomed!

Admission is $25. All proceeds will help support Friendship Bridge's Health for Life program: preventive health services provided at no cost to our clients in Guatemala, who are striving to build a more stable future for their families.

RSVP to join us today! https://loom.ly/5OnDrsI

Get back to basics, unwind your body, and calm your mind during an all-levels yoga practice in Golden, Colorado. We will move through a gentle, grounding flow, led by M'Lou Wallis of the Genesee Friendship Circle.

08/19/2026

Register for this important conversation with Friendship Bridge staff!

🧵 This Thursday at WARP: Building Bridges Through Textiles

What happens when traditional textile art creates new opportunities for Indigenous women and their families?

Join us Thursday, August 20 at 2:00 PM U.S. Eastern Time for a free, virtual conversation with Martha Carmen López Nimacachi, a Kaqchikel textile artist from Santa Catarina Palopó, Guatemala, whose weaving journey began as a child and grew into a thriving textile business.

👉 Register today to receive the link to join and the recording to your inbox: https://weavearealpeace.org/warp-events/threads-of-community/?occurrence=2026-08-20

Martha will share her story, her experience mastering the backstrap loom, and how her work with Handmade By Friendship Bridge has connected her traditional craft with new markets and opportunities—while helping create jobs and support education for the next generation.

The conversation will also feature Nicole Eubanks and Sussan Hrozek from Friendship Bridge.

🌎 This event is free and open to all! We hope to see you there!

08/18/2026

Young people can make a big impact—and Simone is proof! 💜

After a class trip to Guatemala, high school student Simone wanted to do something to support Guatemalan women. So she reached out to Friendship Bridge, created an online fundraiser, and rallied her community to get involved.

On August 5, Simone hosted a fundraising event at a popular summer gathering spot in her hometown of Santa Clara, California. Her mom’s company, Workday, even matched a portion of the funds raised!

So far, Simone has raised $1,841! 🎉

We love seeing young people take an idea they care about and turn it into action. Simone’s initiative is a wonderful example of how anyone, at any age, can help create opportunities for Guatemalan women. 🌎✨

08/10/2026

"The early days of microfinance had real flaws," writes Vishal Ghotge, CEO of Kiva, in a recent article. But, he continues, when the industry moved from "loan-centric to people-centric—from counting loans disbursed to asking whether people’s lives are actually improving," that's when the real opportunity of microfinance was revealed.

Learn more about the positive change the microfinance industry has undergone in Ghotge's recent article: https://loom.ly/2UBZA3Y

As a partner of Kiva since 2007, we at Friendship Bridge echo Ghotge's thoughts on what it takes for microfinance to actually be successful. We commit to remaining people-centric and mission-driven by offering:

• Non-Formal Education to our clients each month on topics such as finance management, women’s rights, health, and family.
• Women’s preventive health services to our clients at no additional cost to them.
• Opportunities to participate in Advanced Education Training and mentor programs that are specific to their industries, such as our Agriculture Credit & Training program.

In addition, we use a Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) framework and system to ensure we are doing what we say we are. And according to 60 Decibels, a global impact measurement company, 97% of our clients surveyed report improved quality of life as a result of being involved with Friendship Bridge.

We think Ghotge said it best in the article: "These numbers will not make headlines the way the worst cases of abuse do. But they represent life-changing outcomes for millions, and that needs to be part of the conversation."

08/09/2026

Today, on the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, we honor the Indigenous Maya, from whom we learn and with whom we share knowledge through encouragement, training, and partnership. 💜

They are hardworking farmers, store owners, food service workers, weavers of textiles, coffee producers, and more, living in rural areas of Guatemala where poverty rates are the highest.

They communicate through K’iche’, Q’eqchi’, Kaqchikel, Mam, and nearly 20 other Indigenous languages, while striving to support their families in a society that doesn't always understand them.

They desire to build brighter futures for their children while remaining rooted to multiple generations of family, just like so many of us.

We're honored to walk alongside the Indigenous Maya as they strengthen their communities and create brighter futures for generations to come.