19/04/2021
Thank you for clients, Tesoros Trading and Jennings & Allen who have also placed an order with us to help us out!! Thank you to all that have donated and who have shared this page.
*********************************************************************
Thank you to everyone for your generosity! I am blessed with all your help.
I am still looking to be able to reach my goal or at least another $2000 by the end of this month or mid-May, to be able to pay the last credit card and back payment of two of our employees. If I could reach this amount this month, that would be so wonderful.
I am so willing and happy to send any item that it’s on our webpage for your kind donation or can send you any items that is posted on my page. Just le me know!
In June I will be able to say whether Precious Hands continues or we close our store! I will keep you posted.
A little bit about me and my business:
1979: June/July, I left Antigua for a visit to the States with my oldest sister, Victoria. She lived in Oakland California. A month later she applied for a student visa for me, which was accepted! Started that year 4th. Grade.
1980/1981: moved to Pittsburg Pennsylvania and started 5th. Grade there
1981/1982: moved back to California, now to Berkeley and attended 6th. Grade there.
1982/1983: Moved to Idaho, where we lived in Eagle, Meridian and last Boise where I graduated from Boise High School in 1988.
My student visa expired right after graduation, so I returned to Antigua Guatemala, end of June of 1988.
Not knowing what to do, and being away 9 years, I did not have a clue of what to do! But I definitely had to find a job since I returned with only $100 which only lasted a couple of months.
Found a job in a retail store, selling hand made products, where I worked for 3 years, and met a German woman who later on introduced me to the owner of a company which was just being started. I helped get all the documents in order to get the company legally running, it was not easy, but I gone it done!!
So, since 1992, I got to know the know-how of making of each and every product we bought from people all over Guatemala and ship out to Europe and later on the USA.
So, it is fair to say that I have been in this business since 1992 and have met and helped so many people, mostly women and vice versa. Have been so proud to present the products we have created together in fairs in the USA and Europe.
From 1992 to 2005 I managed a company from the start (mentioned above), I being the only employee and when I left, in 2005, there were approx. 30 employees who did all the packing, labelling and quality control before it was shipped to Europe or the USA, not counting all the producers involved in different parts of the highlands, who made the products!
After a break for myself of 2 years; a break of not working in the handicraft business, because I did work and saved to start some kind of business, which I did not back then, what it would be. Two years later, I decided to continue with handmade products, with a few of my previous friends, new friends and producers, but now I wanted to have hands on, in designing, production and exporting. I did not have in mind having a store in Antigua, which I later decided to do and we have been doing well since we do custom designs for anyone who walks in our store, orders online or at fairs.
It will be hard if we will have to close Precious Hands, so I am hoping to be able to keep it going a few more years. With your help, I am sure I will be able to make it through!!
A few pictures of my beginning until now!
PLEASE help me reach my goal!! Thank you for all your support!
Irma Yolanda Zuleta
