Empowering Lives: Michaela's Journey from Comal Craftsman to Entrepreneur

In traditional Guatemalan cooking, one kitchen essential is a comal, a flat clay pan that is made in different sizes to be placed over an open flame or other heat source to cook tortillas, peppers, and other food items. 

From an early age, VisionFund Guatemala’s client, Michaela, helped her parents with the comal production and has many years of experience. She is a very responsible person focused on her business, and when she got married, she decided to use her skills to start her own comal-making business so she could build a house for her family. 

This is a labor-intensive process starting with busting up dry clumps of clay to a fine powder, adding water, then manually shaping the clay comales, adding a design on top and rounding up the edges. After drying, the bottoms and sides of the plates are smoothed out, and lastly, baked over a fire. Michaela used to make just 10 comales per month, but with her US $500 loan from VisionFund, she is now able to make 100 comales per month.  

At first, she didn’t know if she wanted to increase production, but after talking with her husband, they decided that the additional income would better support their two girls with their education and provide for special celebrations 

She serves as a wholesaler, selling to a vendor who requests various sizes and designs, which ensures a continual stream of business. When there are large orders, Michaela hires additional help, providing income to other men and women in her community. 

Her oldest daughter, Delia (14) said “I admire my mother because she is working so hard, and I have had such a good childhood and enjoy spending time with her at home. If I had money, I would buy a roof to cover my mother’s working area, so she doesn’t have to sit out in the hot sun making her comales.” Delia currently travels to another community to go to school because her community school only goes up to grade 6. In this rural community, prioritizing education to create a better future for her children, is Michaela’s goal.