Models have a reputation as being little more than walking coat hangers. But Patricia Velasquez is one model showing she’s much more than a pretty face. The Latina beauty is the brains behind the Wayuu Taya Foundation and its colorful boho bags.
The foundation looks to improve the lives of the Wayuu people living in the Guajira Peninsula of Northern Columbia and northwest Venezuela. However its careful that these improvements not come at the cost of the tribe’s beliefs, traditions, and culture. This population suffers from a range of problems including poverty, malnutrition, lack of education, and gastrointestinal disease caused from a lack of clean drinking water.
Women in these communities create the Wayuu Taya handbags at Shukumajaya, a center which teaches the handicraft alongside lessons on parenting, nutrition, hygiene, and family planning. Proceeds from the sale of the bags are distributed amongst the artisans.
Unless stated, every bag on the Wayuu Taya Foundation website is a one-of-a-kind. You’ll ordinarily pay a lot more for something so unique, and it won’t come with that dose of good karma!
