Indigo Dying Process Demonstration at San Luis Los Ranchos, Comasagua

CIS with Salvadoran Enterprises for Women (SEW) began working with organized women in San Luis los Ranchos, Comasagua, in 2005.   The first training women learned how to make indigo bath and several dying teqniques over a period of 6 months.  The women continued learning how to sew the articles they dye to generate income and employment in an area with no paid employment for women. Seven years later two of the women are studying at the university, 10 women are making school uniforms and have been accredited with government contracts, and 6 are dying and selling indigo articles.  In 2011the women won a prize from the Brazilian Government and as a result are getting further training and support.   Check out CIS online store:  www.cis-elsalvador or click below for a direct link.  

Indigo was exported from El Salvador to Europe for over 300 years and made 14 families wealthy in El Salvador, as a result of their enslavement and exploitation of the indigeouness population.  Now the indigenous culture is being brought back to train women and form more collective and just forms a production and distribution of the wealth generated.  

Student from University of Maryland learns dying technique.

Women young and old form part of the business.   The main employer of women in El Salvador, the textile maquila factories only employs women with a minimum of 9th grade education and only until they are 35 years old.  CIS/SEW sponsored projects allow women to work close to home and explore their talents no matter how young or old, and with different levels of formal education.

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Check out some of the amazing finished products on our online store!