El Camino a la Superacion is an indigenous Mayan artisan cooperative in Copan Ruinas. Started by Deborah Matherne, a Louisana-native, as a way to help the local community pool its resources and succeed together, it has now taken a firm step into the future.
Many of the member communities are not connected to the electricity grid. They live off of car batteries for basic electrical infrastructure such as lighting and charging cell phones. Currently, recharging their battery necessitates an arduous, two-hour trek up and down mountains to Copan. It can take a day and it’s exhausting work.