Voices Raised

The Connecticut Council of Vital Voices recently held an event at Christ & Holy Trinity Church in Westport to honor Maria Pacheco, a Guatemalan leader and humanitarian. Vital Voices, an international nonprofit organization, supports women leaders and social entrepreneurs. Raised in Guatemala, Maria is a Fulbright scholar who focuses on the needs of poverty-stricken, rural communities in her home country. She formed Kiej de los Bosques, an organization that works with artisans to develop their designs and then reach world markets. Jewelry, leather goods, and other crafts created by the artisans were sold at the Westport event, with all proceeds supporting Maria’s projects. The Connecticut Council of Vital Voices was established in 2005.

photographs by Phyllis Groner