The Colombian Association of Industrialists of Footwear, Leather and Its Manufactures (“Asociación Colombiana de Industriales del Calzado, El Cuero y sus Manufacturas”) chose the Wayuu hand-made products as one of the ten (10) most innovative proposals of the year in the country, and invited to Guajiran artisans to participate, without any cost, in the 4th International Exhibit of Leather and Inputs, Machinery and Technology (“IV Exhibición Internacional del cuero e insumos, maquinaria y tecnología”) which took place at the Great Saloon of Corferias from May 11 to May 13, where an exhibit of the most recent trends for the 2011 Spring-Summer season took place.

Present at the Innovators Hall of the exhibit were Carmen González and Sugeys Patricia Arrocha Brito, representatives of around 35 artisans of the Jeketüu Association and of Kannas that include people from northern and southern communities of La Guajira, together with CREATA’s commercial coordinator. They were able to male some sales of belts, purses, backpacks, and leather bags elaborated with goat leather and Wayuu fabrics.

Sugeys Patricia, the artisan of Asociación Kannas from the Provincial Wayuu indigenous reservation, located in South Guajira, states “we are elaborating innovations in everything that deals with leather, combinations with Wayuu fabrics (...) we have got foreign clients, Colombian clients and from all over the place”.

The two artisans are beneficiaries of the agreement promoted by Cerrejón between Cerrejón Guajira Indigenous Foundation and CREATA Foundation, whereby the marketing and diversification processes of their handicraft products are supported; that has allowed the elaboration of high-quality Wayuu handicrafts with fashion accessories as finished products.

Through the innovation process, it has been possible to introduce autochthonous raw materials of the region, such as leather and goat horn. For the implementation of these new resources, they have had the support of expert consultants who have travelled to La Guajira to train the artisans and of clients such as Mercedes Salazar, a designer, who visited the project beneficiary workshops and is a client of two of them. Also, investments have been made in technology to increase the production capacity, improve prices, conduct more environment-friendly processes, and with better industrial safety standards.

In the last year, sales have reached Col$ 150 million in the fairs, through the promotion of CREATA and Cerrejón Guajira Indigenous Foundation and those that the very artisans have been able to concrete. Further, approximately 80 people from the indigenous reservations of La Guajira have benefited.

For Carmen González, representative of the Jeketüu Association located at North La Guajira, “The Cerrejón Foundation has supported us with trainings together with CREATA, with participation in fairs, all expenses paid (...) This prize encourages us to continue working, not to abandon the workshop, to go forward”.