Lorenza Diaz and Antonia Carillo Chavez WIXÁRIKA Artisans in Jalisco Mexico.
Mission
The Patricia Govea collection works with 300 skilled artisans from 12 different communities from Mexico, of which 98% are women.
Our mission is to provide sustainable and consistent employment that allows the women of the Wixárika community to participate in the creation of economies of scale. We are honored to collaborate with amazing women and help alleviate poverty, all while promoting and preserving their cultural heritage.
Our collection pays fair wages, funds female education and promotes health and wellbeing for the women.
We aim to bring awareness to the people behind our collection, the stories behind the stitch, and how we generate social impact that benefits their community.
Working Conditions
More than 85% of our artisans have never held a stable job with a consistent salary prior to working with us.
All our artisans must be 18 years or older. They include single mothers, senior citizens and people with disabilities, who all work together under healthy conditions.
Talented artisans throughout Mexico often face similar barriers to growth, which include a lack of knowledge on efficient production methodology, quality standards and design trends, and access to quality materials.
Lorenza Diaz WIXÁRIKA Artisan.
Our Impact
- Encourage the creation of Societies of Social Solidarity. The women in our company can obtain legal personality and become partners and stockholders, allowing the continued development of their communities and preservation of their culture.
- Increase income and ensure fair wages without causing strain to family dynamics.
- Provide steady and diversified sources of income to artisans.
- Provide education on basic reading, writing and speaking skills to promote adult literacy.
- Reduce deprivation; beneficial to artisan's aspirations and local economy.
- Promote the hard work and dedication of women and recognize them as an independent, income-earning group
- Increase family wellbeing by enabling artisans to balance responsibilities at home and at work.
- Improve communication and business skills, resulting in influence over community decisions.
- Preserve their culture by incorporating artisan techniques into every product, while encouraging future generations to continue these traditions.
- Bridge the gap between cultures through clothing.
- Reinforce the idea that identity and heritage is crucial for current generations.
Our Support
We are contributing to a handicraft economy and increasing global workforce inclusivity. Our primary objective is to create jobs to help alleviate poverty in the region.
We are reviving age-old artisan techniques, promoting the heritage of traditional artisan skills, as well as providing educational programs and skill development to the community.
The group of female artisans range in age from 18 to 80 years old. They include single mothers, senior citizens, and people with disabilities. We facilitate transportation for people who typically have to walk 3-4 hours to get to work from one community to another.
We work in conjunction with the artisans to co-design the Patricia Govea Collection in a way that preserves their heritage. The artisans design the beading and embroidery, while maintaining the meaning and sacred figures from their culture.
We presented a plan to the Mexico government which united our efforts to implement training programs, fund female education, and support health and wellbeing programs, as well as day care.
Our company contributes to the achievement of most of the Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the United Nations.
Wixarika Living Conditions
Located in very remote locations in Sierra Occidental, at the states of Nayarit and Jalisco in Mexico, artisans work hard to earn a living wage. Upon their humble home, artisans lack basic necessities and live in rural conditions. These communities lack jobs, schools and transportation.
Due to necessity most artisans only get up to a 6th grade education and get stuck in a cycle of poverty. Jobs, schools, and healthcare centers are hours away and artisans have to walk up to 3 hours to get to places. The lack of jobs and transportation only adds to the number of obstacles these artisans have to overcome.
The Patricia Govea Collection project was created with all of these obstacles in mind. Our Goal is to create employment for people with the Sustainable Development Goals to achieve a better sustainable future by 2030.
For a Better Future
Our Priority is to generate a better quality of life for our Wixarika Communities under the indexes #1 No Poverty, #5 Gender Equality, #8 Decent Work and Economic Growth, and #11 Sustainable Cities and Communities.
The need for decent housing is crucial for the Social Development of our women and their families. This proposal consist of using light elements to build and provide housing for the Wixarika Communities. We are working towards implementing and improving their quality of life.
For a better life, for a better future