Abraham Meda

?My name is Abraham Meda. I was born in Guatemala City into a family that taught me a lot; values, love, and good communication were always an essential part of our day-to-day. From as far back as I can remember, we would go to Mass. This gave us the strength to carry on, even though our financial situation was not always the best.<br><br> ?From a young age, my family taught me the fundamentals of life; education was always important to my parents. They stopped buying toys and the little things children want to afford us a better education. I had three small ?jobs?; one of them was selling chocolates in the streets. I loved being able to serve others, even though it was a small thing. But, it marked the beginning of my dream.<br><br> ?With time, I grew to recognize my family's strength, which I valued a lot. I challenged myself to get good grades in school. Thanks to this, I earned two scholarships, in high school as well as in college, where I studied Business Administration. When I graduated, I wanted to put my studies to practice, but above all else, my passion was to give the same opportunities to people in rural parts of my country. A lot of these people have talent, but they are not able to show it, making their opportunities either limited or simply nonexistent.<br><br> ?My pieces are inspired by my community, by the need to substitute plastic bags for bags that we can reuse, and by a desire for style. This idea of mine comes from an experience I had where I was traveling in a car, but didn't have anywhere to throw my garbage. In that moment, I discovered an unsatisfied need, as well as the opportunity to promote eco-friendly pieces that met that need with style. My bags are sturdy and can even be cleaned, unlike plastic bags.<br><br> ?This project is also inspired by social responsibility. I want to help people in rural areas and offer them sources of income by inviting them to work on our bags. My dream is to raise up the name of my country with pieces that are entirely Guatemalan with a unique touch, but above all made with a lot of dedication by people with high hopes for their families, for their environment, and for their country.?