Skills. Markets. Culture
Home of Indigenous Arts Belize Limited (NGO) empowers Indigenous artisans in Toledo, Belize
through training, product development, market access, and climate-resilient initiatives.
Financial Literacy Trainings
Business planning, small business management, record keeping, marketing, entrepreneurship, costing & pricing.
Product Development & Design
Build creative and innovative skills to reach wider customer segments while preserving cultural significance.
Product Quality Improvement
Improve finish, consistency, and presentation so products earn higher market value and sustain livelihoods.
Skills Training (Sewing, Arts & Crafts Trade)
Gain new techniques to diversify entrepreneurship capacities and income streams.
Marketing Support
Coaching, technical support, and platforms that promote cultural services and authentic arts & crafts so artisans thrive.
Climate-Resilient Initiatives
Replanting and sustainable farming with artisans who rely on natural resources—building resilience to climate change.
Featured Project
Advanced Product Development & Designs — Vocational Training
With support from the Taiwan Technical Mission and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, Culture & Immigration of Belize.
- 80-hour vocational training for 22 women artisan members
- Skills in product development & design to boost productivity
- Entrepreneurship strengthening (pricing, marketing, presentation)
- Closing ceremony with certification & a public exhibition of new products
Testimonials & Success Stories
Xaviera Choco
“I want to express my sincere appreciation for your hard
work and dedication to us women. I had the opportunity to
learn more and now I have new ideas on how to make other
products by adding value to each item that I make. I
understand that it will help me to earn more value for our
products as I take time to create new ideas for the right
market. The Taiwan program was a great opportunity for us
women because it enhances our knowledge in creating other
new items from what we knew before to help ourselves while
we preserve our skills and culture.”
Lavorna Cuc
“I learnt how to creatively think to design and make patterns
for Mopan embroidery. This is a special skill, and I am making
them for the first time. I am happy I can make blouses now with
the embroidery. I was able to make new designs with my
weaving as well; I made cushion covers. We shared a lot of
experiences with the other women while gaining new
knowledge and ideas. I will continue to practice the
embroidery to make new products and will continue to improve
my weaving to make different products. I am happy to work
along with Mrs. Marcelia Assi and the group members”.
Vanita Chen
“I am very satisfied with the help that I received from the Taiwan
Project. I learnt how to measure, cut and sew cultural outfits
including shirts, blouses, skirts. I made clutch purses with
embroidery too. I even learnt a few patterns in count stitched
embroidery from miss Raquel and Miss Felecitas. The workshops
with HIAB were a great experience especially working with other
ladies in the group as we shared our talents and skills with one
another. We even combined our skills and made new products,
and, in the future, we can produce and make an income that can
provide for our family. So, for that I’m very thankful for all the
support that this project has done for me.”
Aurelia Tut
“From the Taiwan project, I liked all the sessions especially
learning what I did not know like the count stitched
embroidery as I have never done that in my life. All I can do
is backstrap weaving to make traditional cuxtal. Yes, we
have been weaving but it is the first time I made table
runners and the new designs from weaving for this training.
This is also the second training I did, and it was helpful and
different. It provided us with other skills too to strengthen
our ideas and help us to understand how to be an
entrepreneur like being patient to work things out or create
new ideas for our own growth. It was successful because the
support extended to help us with our passage to attend the
training. I will certainly keep practicing the new skill of
embroidery until I learn it. We can learn new things too we
just have to commit to learning. I do not belong to any
group, so I recognize, Home of Indigenous Arts Belize for
giving us new opportunities like the Taiwan support to
improve our skills and knowledge”.