Mónica Valle

Language: Spanish

Monica studied Advertising at Rafael Landivar University in Guatemala and pursued studies in Naturopathy, obtaining the title of Naturopathic Doctor. This led her to work in natural medicine with women of limited resources.

She also studied photography and enjoys developing it as a hobby, always showing an interest in indigenous women and the beauty of their colorful traditional costumes.

Her altruistic nature has led her to commit herself to young people with special needs, thus establishing the Center for Special Youth Training (COELI), which belongs to the Rozas Botrán Foundation. The foundation provides scholarships to train and help young people with special needs achieve inclusion in society.

Currently, her son Mohamed Zimeri, who has Down syndrome, has developed skills in cooking through 4 years of Chef studies, resulting in his own line of sauces called @Meds_Gourmet, which have been showcased at various bazaars.

In the year 2000, the village of Panabaj in Santiago Atitlán was struck by a natural disaster, greatly affecting the residents and causing complete loss of homes and families. This motivated Monica to seek resources and support from her friends and several companies to assist with the various needs of this community.

This activity sparked her interest in helping more women in rural communities. After seeking support from different organizations, she found an opportunity at the Ministry of Social Development and created the Artisan Scholarship, promoting community development through the association she founded, “Mother Nature NGO.”

This association was born out of the need to support Guatemalan women who create and design unique products with a story, which can be showcased nationally and possibly internationally.

Its main objective is to support different communities by providing training to women leaders so that they can develop as artisans and produce items they can promote or sell to generate additional income for their families. Monica founded the brand Vesta (www.thevestastore.com), which provides a dignified and modern platform for artisans to sell their products.

Since 2010, the program started with a total of 535 artisans and 19 group leaders. In 2014, it expanded to 1,470 artisans and 35 leaders from various communities. As of this year, 2023, over 10,000 women have been trained, with coverage throughout Guatemala. This has created a true impact in the communities, providing employment opportunities and improving the quality of life for many women in rural areas.

Monica has held several exhibitions in Guatemala City at prestigious commercial venues with the intention of promoting the details and Guatemalan culture of these artisans. Additionally, she sells the products in retail chains, which generates significant income for the vulnerable women’s group.

She has developed a methodology called “Mas Valor” that enables rapid and sustainable change in rural women’s productivity.

ACHIEVEMENTS:

• Naturopath, providing assistance to people with limited resources.
• Founder of COELI, a training center for young people with disabilities, assisting them in their social inclusion process.
• Founder of Mother Nature NGO, providing training to women in artisanal crafts.
• Creator of the Artisan Scholarship in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Development.
• Creator of the “Mas Valor” methodology, enabling sustainable change for rural women towards productivity.
• Over 10,000 women trained in 12 years in developing new manual skills and creating innovative products.
• Recognized by UN Women for achieving first place in connections for commercialization, among other accolades.