After spending much of her childhood in landfills near Mexico City, 22-year-old Sandy Yazmin Colohua Gomez is now one of the women who has gained financial independence and confidence through The Coca-Cola Company’s 5by20 initiative. The company has released a short film, 5by20: Meet the Artisans, to share the global impact of the initiative through stories such as Sandy’s.
Sandy, for example, is saving to complete her education online, since she could not afford to attend high school earlier in life. Her story, and the stories of three other women – Jocelyn Pacrin of the Philippines, Marlene Costa of Brazil, and Lea de Almeida Rocha Serra of Brazil – are featured in Coca-Cola’s new short film. Each woman has her own story of perseverance: Jocelyn in a single mother of four; Marlene is a mother of six, grandmother of eight, and proud founder of a small Amazon village that began crafting with natural materials to generate income from tourist visits; and Lea found an outlet in crafting while trying to overcome a deep depression following the loss of her son. Marlene and Lea both lead groups of female artisans in their communities.
“When I see the group growing, I feel very proud and happy to be coordinating a beautiful group like this one,” Marlene says in her video.
The release of the films celebrates a new market expansion opportunity for the 5by20 artisans: Their items are now available for purchase via www.Coca-ColaStore.com or www.ShopCoke.com and in Coca-Cola USA stores. Consumers can also join the conversation using #5by20.
Coca-Cola is also working to reduce packaging waste through its plant-based PET PlantBottleTM and related research in partnership with Liquid Light. The company is on track to be water neutral by the end of the year, 5 years ahead of schedule.
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Published Nov 12, 2015 11am EST / 8am PST / 4pm GMT / 5pm CET