Round Jade and Lapis Lazuli Pendant Necklace from Guatemala 'Subtle Combination' Item ID: 2669923533

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"My mom and dad joined Novica in 2010 as the Jimenez Family. At that time, I was still studying and supported them as an apprentice in the workshop. When I had more knowledge and experience, I talked to the Novica regional team and asked if I could enter as an individual artisan because I already had several designs of my own that I wanted to show on the platform. And so, in 2015 I started working with Novica myself. I never stopped supporting my parents' work, but I was very happy to have creative independence and start my own business. Since that year my life has improved greatly, and I have acquired a lot of knowledge that has served me in the administrative, financial and labor areas. Novica has high and low seasons during the year, and I have learned to manage both financial resources and raw materials because there are seasons when certain supplies are scarce.

"I also feel proud because the quality of my work has improved a lot. In April 2022, within the framework of the celebration of Artisan's Day, I won the Novica Central America Award for Excellence in Quality because in 2021 97.5% of my products were approved by Quality Control. When I received that recognition, I felt the best, because I have made a great effort and I have dedicated myself to making the rule in the workshop that we work with quality from the beginning to the end of production. I am very happy that Novica saw that effort and that they recognized me. And for 2022 I set a goal, and I've been delivering 100% quality for half a year now.

"Thanks to my Novica sales, I have managed to acquire many things with the income that I receive. But it is important to have goals. And as I mentioned before, during the year I have seasonal ups and downs in sales, that's normal. But I take the opportunity to save a percentage of my sales from the high season because I know that I must also restock my inventory, acquire more materials, make payments to my assistants, etc.

"Another advantage of Novica is microcredit. With them, I have been able to invest in raw materials, pay assistants and make improvements in my workshop. My financial situation before I started working with Novica was not very good. In fact, I worked with my parents, and I didn't have the time to devote entirely to work because I was also studying. When I started working at Novica the financial part was not easy, because I had to invest, and all investments take a certain time to see returns. But when I started to generate sales, and payments were more frequent, everything began to flow much easier. Little by little I improved economically. Now 90% of my work is dedicated to Novica.

"To all the Novica family, thank you from the bottom of my heart for believing in me from the beginning until today. Because even though my designs weren't that pretty at first, they trusted me. Along the way, I have been learning and understanding more about the market. I am also grateful for the freedom they have given me to modify my catalog and improve it with more beautiful designs. And lastly, thank you for the opportunity you have given me to acquire funds to invest with microcredits because that is how I have been able to buy raw materials to increase my inventory at Novica."

Estuardo Jimenez built his house and finished it this year. This is what he told us when we visited his new house: “The land on which my house is built today was given to me by my parents many years ago -- thanks to their sales at Novica they were able to buy it. However, I was insecure about starting to build what would become my own home. I spent several years looking for the best option for the construction of my house. During that time I gradually bought construction materials, such as ceramic flooring, pads, and wood, among other things. The microcredits that Novica gave me to expand my sales inventory were of great help, because with this I was able to buy more raw materials for my business, and thus produce sufficient sales and achieve my goal of building my home.