Profiling Tepehua – July 2024

The words that are scattered along the wall of our classroom speak to us – inspiración, experiencia, emoción, confianza (confidence), dedicación, superación (overcoming), aprendizaje (learning), oportunidad, éxito (success), esperanza (hope), and libertad (freedom). Also there is “aquí se cultiva amor” (love grows here), and finally “12 de Junio, 2012”.

This is our sewing center at the Tepehua Community Center, high on the hill above Chapala in the barrio of Tepehua. We have one of many rooms there dedicated to improving the lives of our fellow Mexican neighbors. Here a group of local women have gathered twice a week since 2012 to fill their sewing orders or assignments, talk over design ideas, choose their fabrics, measure, cut and sew, all the while dreaming of the opportunities that they now are able to give their children with the money they are earning from the quality products they sell.

My own history with the program goes back to 2016 when my husband and I arrived in Chapala to live fulltime. It didn’t take me long to begin volunteering with the sewing program. We had previously been snowbirds in Mazatlan where I had worked with a local sewing group for ten winters. In Chapala, I was ready to get to work in a new town, with a new group of women. At that time, Irka Campbell was their leader. She was incredibly dedicated to this group and nurtured them from being complete novices to being very good sewing artisans known as sewists.

Soon they were active participants in the popular 3-day Chili Cookoff event. They filled their extra-large booth with a variety of fantastic products that were hot sellers! They saw that the fruits of their hard work could change the lives of their families. They participated in this annual event every February for five years.

Additionally, they sold their sewing wares at the Tepehua Treasures Thrift Shop which they still do to this day. Sadly, in June of 2019, Irka Campbell passed away after her long fight with a chronic disease. The decision to step up to fill her shoes (BIG ones they were!) wasn’t that difficult. I followed Irka’s program and hoped that everything would continue smoothly.

The women organized themselves into teams for the following Chili Cookoff in February of 2020. I stood in awe at their teamwork as they pulled off another successful event. A few weeks later, word of COVID-19 arrived and sent everyone into a panic. Schools and businesses closed, and the “high” of their recent success was now shattered. How could we continue this business, their livelihood? We made masks! I made sure they had the BEST pattern to work with: tight-fitting, all cotton, with a sturdy yet comfortable nose wire. For special requests we changed the elastic so it would work for folks with hearing aides.

Typically, the women earn a percentage of their sales, with 50-60% going in their pockets, and the balance returning to the program, but in this situation, I gave them 100% of the proceeds. They survived and the program survived too. COVID also reduced our population of sewists. Anxiety and insecurity lead some women to look for other jobs. Slowly but surely our numbers dwindled, and at this time we have 6 women, enthusiastically sewing to fill our shelves at the thrift shop, to do simple alterations, and to sell at local artisan events.

I love to tell our customers that these women are sending their children to college. Yes, higher education for all! Their offspring are the beneficiaries of this fantastic program! We thank our faithful customers for their support in the way of purchases, fabric donations and constant compliments and encouragement! I welcome questions about our sewing program through my email (mruzich53@gmail.com).