WHO WE ARE
What is Kuchub'al?
Board of Directors Kuchub'al is a collaborative effort of small organized producers in the southwestern region of Guatemala. We seek to construct a more human economy through our solidarity, our mutual support and our search for a fair income.

Kuchub'al is a search for a good living and development for our families and communities, but without hoarding profits by taking advantage of the needs of others.

Kuchub'al means an effort to build economic relationships and interactions, incorporating our values from Christianity

Board of Directors of Kuchub'al  
and from the cultures of our peoples which invite us to love one another and serve one another, to take care of each other, and to live in harmony with nature and care for it as the common heritage of humanity for all generations.

Kuchub'al seeks to be a hope for the poor, an announcement that a New World really is possible, because it can already be found today in our experiences of solidarity-- as a concrete reality and as a small seed of an ever-improving world.

The origin of the Word Kuchub´al

Kuchub'al is a word of Mayan Kiché origin. In recent years it has been used to refer to the spontaneous organization of groups of friends, neighbors and coworkers, who agree to contribute a certain amount of money periodically (every second week or monthly), with the total amount from each period being delivered to each participant in rotation. In this way it becomes a kind of loan without interest which helps people and their families to address emergencies, and/or also sets up a form of savings.

This dynamic of mutual help between the poor is known in other places and cultures as "rounds," " turns," etc. However, in the case of the Mayan people in Guatemala, this strategy of mutual support and solidarity is seen in many diverse aspects of life, including the construction of housing, agriculture, community works, festivities and celebrations, etc.

This is the meaning that we have wanted to reclaim and to revive by taking the word Kuchub'al as a name that identifies our efforts to unite and connect ourselves in a common project.
The nature of Kuchub'al
Kuchub'al To be a regional network that builds relationships of interchange, national and international trade, in a fair way with solidarity; made up of small groups of producers and consumers, in search of sustainable and communal approaches that enable us to live with dignity. It is a participatory association, created to look out for the interests of these groups of small producers and of consumers.

Our Principles

  • We live with a liberating faith that inspires commitment and spirituality among our people. We are all equal before God.
  • We market and sell our products with fairness and solidarity. The marketing of our products should not occur at the expense of others.
  • We practice and we demand transparency and honesty. We must do things well and live with dignity.
  • We claim political action as a right. The common good should prevail over individual interests.
  • We move forward with people's active participation. We must do things together, in a responsible way, to achieve better results.
  • We promote the equality of people of all genders, ethnicities, and ages. Women have the same rights as men. Our strength is in our diversity.
  • We practice non-violence. There are other forms of resolving conflicts.
  • We respect and value our cultural roots and nature. To maintain our identity we must be faithful to our roots. The survival of human beings and all other beings is dependent on respect for nature.
  • We promote production and consumption of natural and organic products. We should care for our health, without losing sight of the needs of others.