Meet Sofia and Desly. Two xateras from the Carmelita village.
Sofia Maritza Hernandez has been working with xate for nine years, sorting the palms and inspecting for any imperfections. For her, not only is this her vocation. It is a vocation.
“The work is voluntary in that we don’t have a contract, but most of us come to work because we like the job. I, for example, never miss work.” “The sale of xate is changing my life in different ways - it is supplemental income to what my husband earns and I invest it in my children for the most part, spending it on their education, school supplies, and clothes.”
“I believe that by selling Xate the whole community is benefiting. Because the people who participate in the process of the Xate are many, from collectors, selectors, quality control and more. The Xate has created a small economy in the community, because it has created a source of work for everyone, especially for people who have no other source of work more than this. Anyone from the community can come here to sell Xate and receive income from the sale.”
“I would like for churches to know that we are benefiting greatly when they buy Xate, not just me as a mother, but the whole community. Because we are quite involved in this process. That is why I think that if the churches would suddenly stop buying Xate, this project would have to close. This would affect almost every family in the community. ”
Desly Marisol, another xate sorter who has been working for 5 years says,
“My life has changed a lot since I started working in the the Xate project. In household terms, it has helped me provide my children with the help they need. Before, it was a little complicated because my husband was the only one who provided a household income for the whole family, but now, this extra source of income helps us to give our children a better life.” “The community is benefiting from the sale of Xate, because the benefits of Xate have allowed us to invest more in education and health, which is the most important thing for the development of our community.” “I would like for the churches to know that when they buy Xate they are helping the whole community, especially women. There are cases where single mothers come to work with Xate, they benefit from the income they received from Xate. That is why I think that the church market has always been very important for our community. We would also like the churches to have a greater understanding of the process, because sometimes you try to do your best to have a good quality product, but sometimes it is not on us. When palms arrive to the collection center do not have any defects, but when whe put them in packages, in their way to the U.S. is when they might present some defects. That is why it would nice for them to know of this process.”
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