North American Charity Stimulates Economic Growth in Guatemala Online Enabled by Shopster e-Commerce - Social Networking for Products

North American Charity Stimulates Economic Growth in Guatemala Online Enabled
by Shopster e-Commerce - Social Networking for Products

CALGARY, Nov. 13 /PRNewswire/ - In the chaos of a 37-year civil war,
traditional weaving for women of the Maya culture had become a lost art. A
group of local women from Taltimiche, in Comitancillo, Guatemala, hoped to
change this, and formed a co-op to teach each other the skill, supplementing
their families' incomes through sales of the finished weavings. A Calgary
based charity group, Dentistry for All (DFA) came across the beautiful crafts
while working in Guatemala, and knew they could help the women's sales by
introducing their products to North America.
Having raised money to build the co-op its own building and purchase new
weaving looms, DFA teamed up with Shopster e-Commerce to bring these third
world treasures to the online market (http://dentistryforall.secure2cart.com).
To date, DFA accounts for 80% of the co-op's sales, and sales of the
hand-woven goods have allowed the co-op to increase the number of Guatemalan
women it employs from 35 to 140.
"The world uses Google," says Canadian DFA Director Brad Krusky, "Anytime
anyone asks anything about us (DFA) they ask for a website. Shopster provides
the building blocks we need to get online."
"We are pleased that DFA has used our software to help such an amazing team of
women in Guatemala. Shopster was built to enable producers of unique goods get
their products to market, and we look forward to seeing their sales grow as
they build their presence online." says Shopster CEO, Sarath Samarasekera.

About Dentistry for All

Dentistry for All provides independent and sustainable dental care to the
world's poorest nations, including Guatemala and Nicaragua. In 15 years, they
have seen over 12,000 patients. DFA is hosting the 6th Annual Guata-Gala on
November 14, 2009, in Calgary, Canada.

About Shopster.com

Founded in 2004, www.shopster.com is an official eBay Solutions Partner that
simplifies the complexities of online retail, allowing merchants to manage
their store, transactions, and supply chain relationships in one easy to use
place. Joining the Network is free, so merchants can focus on growth and
relationships, not on costs.

SOURCE Shopster E-Commerce

demonstration accounts, or media interviews, contact Suzy Vadori, EVP
Operations, Shopster e-Commerce, (403) 366-3713, svadori@shopster.com