The project empowers Wayuu women in La Guajira region (Venezuela-Colombia border) by providing professional integration, education, & cultural preservation opportunities. Wayuu women convene in the Foundation's Shukumajaya hut to weave traditional Susu bags and attend workshop and trainings (health, nutrition, hygiene, and entrepreneurship among others). Women get compensated for each bag and all profits generated from the sales are used for the continuation and growth of the program.
Wayuu Taya focuses on the most vulnerable communities in the region facing extreme poverty and alimentary and educational deficiencies. Venezuela's ongoing humanitarian crisis, (8 million people left), the influx of migrants along the Venezuela-Colombia border, where Wayuu communities reside, brings added challenges such as the spread of diseases like COVID-19 and a strain on already limited resources.
The program seeks to address the multifaceted challenges faced by Wayuu women, including poverty, lack of educational opportunities, and cultural erosion. The choice of traditional Susu bag production is significant considering its cultural value among Wayuu women and its potential for economic empowerment. By providing women with the necessary resources, training, and market access, the program not only generates income but also preserves traditional craftsmanship and instills a sense of pride.
This program has the potential to become self sustainable. With each bag sold, it will generate sufficient income to keep the program running, create job and income generation opportunities for the women as well as provide trainings, tools and workshops that will benefit the entire household and community at large.
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