As part of our 'Meet Our Indigenous Wayuu Artisans' series, which introduces our indigenous Wayuu artisans to you in a more up-close-and-personal way, it is our pleasure to share Rosa's story with you. Rosa is a young woman who used to dream of being a policewoman before she discovered her love for crafting Wayuu bags. MEET ROSA Indigenous Artisan and Coordinator Although I’ve always loved weaving, I wanted to become a policewoman a few years back. There’s not a lot of options in the region of La Guajira, and I felt it was a job that could provide me with financial stability. I had to take an exam to pass the police test that cost a considerable amount of money. As I didn’t have enough, I got a private loan at a 10% monthly interest rate I was never able to pay back. I’ve learnt that it’s possible to earn a stable income from doing what I love the most - making Wayuu mochilas In the end, I didn’t pass the test and still had to pay back the money loaned. Lombia took on my debt at 0% interest which I was able to pay back in less than a year. Since then, I’ve also learnt that it’s possible to earn a stable income from doing what I love the most - making Wayuu mochilas that spread beauty around the world. Here in the Ranchería Cucurumana, our community is like a family, and luckily I’m able to support many others with my earnings. My goals for this year are to finish building the shared bathroom for our community My goals for this year are to finish building the shared bathroom for our community so that we no longer have to make long trips to the mountains, and to begin saving up to start a family in the next few years.

As part of our 'Meet Our Indigenous Wayuu Artisans' series, which introduces our indigenous Wayuu artisans to you in a more up-close-and-personal way, it is our pleasure to share Hayson's story with you. Hayson is one of the few male artisans in the Guajira region of Colombia, but has proved himself as very capable at his craft. MEET HAYSON Indigenous Artisan Even though the art of weaving is usually reserved for the women of our community, some men like myself do enjoy getting involved. Although I must say, we have had to prove ourselves amongst our women first! We have had to prove ourselves amongst our women first While most men dedicate themselves to looking after farm animals, agriculture and fishing, my creativity and curiosity has led me towards crocheting. I enjoy how the vibrant colors of the threads come together to create what is our heritage today. I also hope to grow as an individual and to support other community members My goals for this year are to continue working alongside Lombia to produce Wayuu bags, in the hope that more people take an interest in Wayuu culture. I also hope to grow as an individual and to support other community members as my art continues to flourish.

As part of our 'Meet Our Indigenous Wayuu Artisans' series, which introduces our indigenous Wayuu artisans to you in a more up-close-and-personal way, it is our pleasure to share Leane's story with you. Leane is a weaver in training and is one of the most talented weavers in her community at only 12 years old. MEET LEANE Weaver in training My name is Leane, and although I am only 12 years old, I have been diligently working on my crocheting skills since I was a little girl. My Wayuu bags are so well woven, they are mistaken for the work of more experienced artisans in my community. When I grow up, I want to become a doctor to help others here that don’t have access to medical care When I grow up, I want to become a doctor to help others here that don’t have access to medical care. Outside of school, when I’m not studying, I like to sit in a hammock with the women of my community and crochet My main goal is to use my talent to support my mom and my younger siblings I may be considered the most talented weavers within my community, but my main goal is to use my talent to support my mom and my younger siblings, trying to understand how I can contribute more.

As part of our 'Meet Our Indigenous Wayuu Artisans' series, which introduces our indigenous Wayuu artisans to you in a more up-close-and-personal way, it is our pleasure to share Aminta's story with you. Aminta is one of our most experienced artisans and has taught generations of women the craft of creating mochila bags in the Guajira region of Colombia. MEET AMINTA Indigenous Artisan My name is Aminta, and I’m one of the most experienced artisans of my community. I have channeled my years of wisdom and teachings accumulated from the women before me into my hand woven bags. It brings me great joy to share this art with you all. I have channeled my years of wisdom and teachings accumulated from the women before me into my hand woven bags I’m from the community of Cucurumana, which is located in the desert, rural plains of La Guajira. Here it’s beautiful and peaceful, and even though our conditions can be challenging due to the harsh climate, our community is lucky to have access to a clean water supply. I’ve been blessed to be the mother of 8 children, who have shown me love and support in my old age. With over 65 years of experience as an artisan, I am a highly respected member of my community With over 65 years of experience as an artisan, I am a highly respected member of my community who has had the honor of passing down my wisdom to other women. My goal for this year is to remain healthy and able so that I am able to continue creating mochilas and passing down the knowledge I’ve gained from my ancestors to the younger generations to keep our traditions alive long after I’ve left this earth.

Surely, you are curious to know about the origins of your Wayuu bag. You want to know where it came from and who made it. These factors are what give your Wayuu bag its colors and patterns.Let's take a brief overview and see what's behind your brightly colored mochila bag. Who are the Wayuu and where do they live? The Wayuu community is an indigenous group that lives in the northernmost part of Colombia in a region called La Guajira. This area is made up mostly of desert and the Wayuu indigenous community is for the most part very poor due to lack of government support. But that's a story for another day! The region is filled with rickety and flimsy wooden huts supposed to serve as homes. In many parts of La Guajira, running water does not reach and drinking water must be purchased. La Guajira's desertic region is an area where rain hasn't touched the roofs of its inhabitants in over three years. A Wayuu women's right of passage It all begins when a Wayuu girl goes from being a child to a woman. During her first menstrual cycle, she is obliged to stay confined to a hut anywhere from six months to a year (previously, they used to stay confined for up to 7 years!). During this time, she is only allowed to have contact with her mother and her grandmother. Throughout these months of confinement, these 2 women will teach her everything she needs to know about being a woman and caring for her future husband and children. It is during this time that she learns about the art of crocheting Wayuu bags. She learns the meaning of each pattern, triangle and color used in her bags. Working as a Wayuu women A traditional Wayuu woman will refine her crochet skills as she will continue to crochet throughout her life. However, it is not something she does full time. She must attend other duties such as caring for her home and family. How she sells her Wayuu bags A traditional Wayuu woman will usually live in her 'ranchería' or small village. In order to sell her bags, she must get them to the city. Sometimes, a representative of the village will gather all the bags produced by the women from the village and go and sell them in the city. Other times, the woman makes the trip to the city herself and sells them to a provider that will commercialize them and add the strap (Wayuu woman only make the bag itself).