Xapontic

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Xapontic commercializes soap of artisan production (made from honey and oats), this generates new income opportunities for the families in the communities through the diversification of the goods sold and produced.

Standings & Awards

422 out of 422 in North America
179 out of 179 in Poverty
574 out of 574 in Pilot
555 out of 555 in For-Profit
4003 out of 4003 Overall

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VOTES

It seeks to improve and promote the rights of indigenous women and their families, encouraging participation.

Xapontic is a project associated with the cooperative Ts'umbal Xitalha' in the state of Chiapas in Mexico, that produces organic coffee and honey and develops projects with the communities to add value to these products, and last year began the production of honey soap. Xapontic in Tzeltal Mayan language means "Our soap" and is a symbol of ownership of the product.

Xapontic is a project aimed at producing artisan soap in several communities. For these communities, the most important sources of income are the production of coffee beans and honey. The project began last year by commercializing soap of artisan production (made from honey and oats), this generates new income opportunities for the families in the communities through the diversification of the goods sold and produced. In this way, honey would no longer be sold solely as a raw material but would be used to produce a product of higher aggregate value. Honey soap is produced mostly by women, who work together as a team and benefit equally from the goods produced. In other words, the business project does not belong to a single person; it belongs to the whole community.

We only remain as intermediaries through the whole project, working as a bridge between the urban market and the rural communities; and as an advising team for the establishment and growth of the project.

Support Your Idea Optional (5 - 7 minutes for three uploads)

Supporting Document:

Business Model Canvas.pdf

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Roadmap to Success Optional (1 - 3 minutes to upload)

Roadmap to Success:

roadmap_to_success.pdf

Sponsors, Investors, and Supporters

FIVE PROJECT QUESTIONS Required (60 - 90 minutes)

1. What is your innovation?

Our innovation is a fair-trade model focused on the development of equal and solidary relationships between indigenous communities, students and supporting institutions, this for a mutual learning and growth. Our effort focuses on improving their incomes and living conditions by reducing their dependence on coffee crops through the sale of higher added-value products starting with honey-based soap and then expanding to other honey products; and giving them education and tools for future growth.

2. Who gains the most?

The principal beneficiaries of this venture are the indigenous women. Women in such communities are exposed to low educational levels. Though their roles in their families and communities are highly important, they search for new areas of personal development and learning. Bringing an extra income to their families through a community project will empower them and create opportunities for real improvement in their conditions of living.

3. Who pays?

During the first stages the project has received funds from different organizations this money has helped us set up the business and pay for the materials. In the short term the project will still need moderate financial help. The money paid by consumers will be used to buy new materials, pay the producers and develop more ambitious plans for the women. In the long term as sales pick up and the revenue increases, the project will become self-sustainable.

4. What is your success?

The success of our innovation could be determined by the reduction of the families’ dependence on coffee sales as their only source of earnings, as well as increasing their total income. This will reflect on lower market vulnerability and the volatile coffee prices will have a smaller impact on their quality of life. In the long term the organization aims at empowering the women through education and integration in the management and production processes of the venture.

5. How will you do it?

Our organization functions around three main supporting pillars. The students and university members develop and implement most areas of the business plan and provide guidance and workshops for the women. CEDIAC manages resources, implements logistics and keeps track of the project in Chiapas. The women in the communities are the owners of the venture. They produce the soap, distribute tasks and are the final decision makers. All of this takes place in an inclusive environment of mutual support.