Photo Contest – Through the CECI Lens

The jury’s favorite image features Lesvia, a young Q’eqchi’ woman, teaching her younger sister the ancestral art of crochet in the intimacy of their home.
This gesture links tradition and autonomy, skill and confidence. The photo captures Lesvia’s determination and creativity as she inspires those around her while helping her community’s knowledge thrive.

Photographer: Sébastien Allouche

At the 2024 World Economic Forum, the Cholitas Escaladoras were celebrated as a powerful symbol of Indigenous leadership and resilience.
These women mountaineers, who have conquered the highest Andean peaks in traditional skirts, inspire women everywhere to break barriers and raise their voices within their communities.
Their story echoes the commitment of CECI and the TEA WEEB project in Bolivia, which support the economic empowerment and independence of Indigenous women.

Photographer: Oscar Cifuentes

In Guatemala, photographer Sébastien Allouche collaborated with the Na’leb’ak cooperative, led by Q’eqchi’ women, as part of CECI’s Volunteer Cooperation Program. After a training in photography and videography, participants discovered the professional equipment together.
Curiosity quickly turned into laughter as their voices resonated through the microphone for the first time—capturing a moment where discovery met creativity and trust.

Photographer: Sébastien Allouche

In the lush fields of Moussayah, the women of the Samato group harvest the fruits of collective, patient, and passionate labor. Their filled baskets reflect a season of effort, solidarity, and shared knowledge. Today, their produce nourishes nearby villages and even reaches across the border into Sierra Leone. Here, the earth is not only cultivated—it is regenerated by those who know it intimately. Here, photosynthesis is also social.

Photographe : Achille Zindjo