Happy Birthday AMURECI

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Four years ago, a group of local women decided to do more for themselves and their community in the small town of Santa Clara, Costa Rica. Besides being full time moms and housewives, these seven women initiated the association of women known as AMURECI. Using recycled materials, AMURECI started off by handmaking and selling banana paper made from the banana trees in their own back yard. Now AMURECI products range from handmade journals to earring made from the seeds of the rainforest.

AMURECI recently bought and is slowly renovating a small shop on the road leading to the Volcanoe Arenal, where they are hoping to attract tourists.They take all the help that is offered, including volunteers from CCS, which is how I met these ladies 3 years ago. They have had no formal art training, so I have been a most welcome artist. Last year I completed a mural on their storefont. This year Sandy and I continue to help dress up the place by painting a mural on a well outside the shop.

Still struggling to pay off debts from such a large and risky endeavor, AMURECI also takes extra side jobs. Currently we are stapling 4 million plastic strips into loops for a pineapple company. The plastic strips hold the pineapples together during export. Right now 80,000 strips are complete, quite the slow process. So if you are stuck in an office cubicle right now, bored of the same daily routine, think about staping for 8 hours a day...for pennies an hour.

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Photos

AMURECI
Me and some of the AMURECI women

Caught ya!
AMURECI throws a fiesta to celebrate their 4 year anniversary. Jose sneaks a taste of the homemade chocolate cake.

Painting the well
Painting murals and working on a good tan