If you have purchased an Amparo Crafts product please check on the back of the label for the name of the Artisan, you can then read their story here. We are currently awaiting the details and photos of more women who have recently joined the Women for Conservation project. If you can not find your Artisan on here please E-mail us at info@amparocrafts.com and we will contact you when they have been updated.
Adriana Gomez
I live in Puerto Pinzon which is next to El Paujil nature reserve, I am 32 years old I have a 13 year old son and a 3 year old daughter, I live with the father of my daughter in a wooden house that we have been building little by little. I have always liked crafts but I have never had the opportunity to work in this because of financial reasons.
I have always taken part in all the workshops given by Women for Conservation and now I belong to the group. Thanks to them I have been able to learn many things and I have been paid for my work.
I long to have my own business where apart from helping other women like me; they would be able to receive an income. This project has impacted my life because I have the opportunity to work and at the same time look after my children. Apart from receiving money for the work, they have also taken care of our families. They have done a medical campaign and have also provided us with school kits and clothing for our children.
One of our proudest achievements is to know that our work goes to other countries outside of Colombia and that many people are contributing so that our dream can continue. Thankyou.
Adriana Gomez
Dora Torres
I am 49 years old; I am the mother of 6 children. We arrived at Puerto Pinzon 10 years ago as we were displaced by violence. We used to live in San Luis Antioquia where we used to have land to cultivate and were able to work for our family.
Here in Puerto Pinzon I live in a small wooden house with my younger children, I work in crafts with the Women for Conservation project and from the beginning of this year I have retaken my secondary school studies and I am currently in first grade.
I study at night with other ladies from the project.
Dora Torres
Fabiola Gutierrez
I am 27 years old I have lived with my partner for 5 years, I am a stay-at-home mum.
I work in the Women for Conservation project. Thanks to the project I have learnt art and crafts and I receive money for my work, this is the only job I've had where I am paid a fair wage.
I also love the work that we do for the environment: the reforestation and planting seeds.
Fabiola Gutierrez
Gloria Cedano
I am 39 years old, I am the mother of 4 and I also have a grandchild by my youngest daughter.
We arrived in Puerto Pinzon 10 years ago because we were displaced from Tolima and we came to look for better opportunities for the family.
At the moment I am validating my studies; I am doing year 6 of primary school. I am studying with other colleagues from the Women for Conservation group.
I have the opportunity to work with the Proaves Foundation Project and what I would like the most is to learn as much as I can to be able to have my own business.
Apart from teaching us and giving us work opportunities, we receive wages for our work and we help to protect the environment.
Gloria Cedano
Maribel Duque
I am 25 years old; I have lived in Puerto Pinzon for 7 years.
I arrived here looking for new opportunities for my life; I was looking for work to be able to support my daughter who at the time was 3 years old. When I arrived there was a lot of work because of the cultivations. But now that is not available and finding work is very difficult.
I have 2 children, my girl is 10 years old and my boy is 2. I have belonged to Women for Conservation for 2 and half years. I have learnt how to make crafts and the project has benefited me a lot because I did not have a job.
Now I am studying at night because I want to succeed and give a good example to my children. I am grateful to the project for taking care of us all. I like the project a lot because we also help to look after the environment, we plant trees and we have learnt how to look after the animals.
Maribel Duque
Martha Vargas
I am 23 years old and I have a 4 year old son. I look after him at home.
My job is to make crafts with the Women for Conservation group.
I was born in Puerto Pinzon and I am grateful that I now have this job, the money that I have received has been very useful to meet my needs and I hope that the project will continue for a long time.
In this town there are no work opportunities for women and now it is even difficult for men; that is why many families have to cut trees to be able to survive or hunt animals to sell them.
This year I retook my primary school studies at the Puerto Pinzon School.
Martha Vargas
Ciria Torres
I am 32 years old, I am a single mum of 3 children and I have been displaced by the violence.
I have lived in Puerto Pinzon for 10 years and I have always liked anything to do with the environment and animals.
For a few months I have belonged to the Women for Conservation project and have liked the work they do very much.
All of the workshops they do are very valuable to us because we have the opportunity to work in something that brings dignity to women, we also take part in reforestation, planting nurseries and keeping wormeries.
I study at night and I am doing first grade of secondary school.
Ciria Torres
Awaiting photograph
Elmis Carolina Martinez de Leon
Elmis was born on the 25th March 1987 and lives with her partner in the village of Bellavista , which is two and a half hours from the city of Santa Marta on the Caribbean.
She left school after secondary school and mainly looks after the house which is made of wood.
Elmis says: “I would like to learn to sew and to continue practising making crafts so that I can be a great artisan in my region and to make more of the products we have been making.”
Elmis Carolina Martinez de Leon
Ana Dilia Bacca
Ana Dilia was born on the 16th July 1987 and has a 2 year old child. She lives in a rented house with 7 other people in the village of Vista Nieves near El Dorado nature reserve about two and a half hours from the city of Santa Marta.
Ana Dilia finished her secondary school and is now mainly looking after her child.
Ana Dilia would like to continue with her studies and continue to learn knitting and crafts in general.
Ana Dilia Bacca
Gerarda Maria Sanguino
Gerarda was born in Santa Marta on the 21st April 1961 and remarkably has 12 children some of them are grown up and have left home. She now lives with in the village of Bella Vista in her own house.
Maria is illiterate as she was only able to do first year of primary school, she has also had problems with her sight for which she has received glasses from Women for Conservation.
She is mainly a house wife and has also learnt about organic fertilizers, planting vegetables, management of solid residues and the handicrafts that the Women for Conservation has taught such as soap, stuffed cuddly toys, candles and knitting scarves.
Gerarda says “I would like to learn to sew, and jewellery making. My dream is to be able to have my own business.”
Gerarda Maria Sanguino
Liliana Restrepo Ortiz
Liliana was born on the 5th of June 1979 and has five children, their ages are: 13, 10, 7, 4 and 3. They live in the village of Bellavista in a rented house made of corrugated metal, which would normally be used for roofs.
Liliana managed to study up to first year of secondary school and is now mainly dedicated to the care of the children and the house.
Liliana has learnt to make soap, stuffed cuddly toys and knitted scarves through the Women for Conservation Project.
Liliana says: “my aspirations are to do a nursing course and to do the crafts courses but what I want the most is nursing”.
Liliana Restrepo Ortiz
Maria Adelaida Ramos
Maria Adelaida is best known as “Doña Adela”, she was born on the 13th October 1958 and has two grown up children ages 25 and 32.
Adela lives in the beautiful nature reserve of El Dorado, she looks after the eco-lodge by cooking amazing food and the general housekeeping of the guest’s rooms.
Adela has learnt different skills through the Women for Conservation program such as soap making, knitting scarves, stuffed cuddly birds, candle making and jewellery making.
Adela says that she would like to “learn English, information technology, cooking, crafts; as much as possible and if the opportunity is given.”
Maria Adelaida Ramos
Cristina Bacca
Cristina was born in Santa Marta on 27th December 1986. Cristina has a 3 year old boy and is currently expecting a second child.
They live in the village of Vista Nieves in a rented house. Cristina was able to finish her secondary studies. She has also done some studies on eco tourism, rural families and has learnt to make crafts.
Cristina is a gifted artisan and is one of the monitors of the group because of her abilities and leadership skills.
Cristina says: ‘I would like to learn to sew and to make other arts and crafts my aspirations are to make the most of the training that we are being given to help my community and work with children.
Cristina Bacca
Flor Alba Herrera
Flor was born in Santa Marta on the 13th August 1980; she lives with her partner and has three children ages: 10, 3 and 3 months old. They live in a wooden hut which they own.
Flor is one of the very few who has managed to finish all her primary and secondary studies; she is mainly a house wife and has done various courses and workshops such as: marketing, management of solid residues, environmental education, theatre and puppets, community living, project management and handicrafts.
Flor is one of the monitors and leaders of the group although she is currently on maternity leave.
Flor says: “I would like to learn more handicrafts and also English. My dream is to progress as a leader and help to implement the production processes that that the foundation wants to establish here. I would like to be able to show everything we have learnt and how far we have come as a group.”
Flor Alba Herrera
Flor de Maria Sanabria Rodrigues
Flor was born on the 25th January 1955, she is married and has five children ages: 38, 36, 34, 23 and 11. She lives in the village of Bella Vista in a house which she owns
Flor only managed to study up to third year of primary school.
Flor is mainly a house wife and has done various courses such as: management of solid residues, organic farming and handicrafts.
Flor Maria says: “I would like to learn to sew and I would like to finish my primary studies. My dream is to be able to have a sewing workshop to teach young people so that they can succeed.”
Flor de Maria Sanabria Rodrigues
Lourdes Diaz Sanguino
Lourdes was born in Santa Marta on 21st June 1979; she lives with her partner and has four children ages: 16, 13, 11 and 4. They live in a rented wooden house.
Lourdes only managed to do up to year four of primary school. Lourdes is mainly a house wife and she is able to work with the Women for Conservation group because of the flexibility to work around the family commitments and because they can bring any children with them to the training workshops.
Lourdes has learnt about the management of solid residues, organic fertilizers and handicrafts such as stuffed toy birds, jewellery making and candle making.
Lourdes says: “I would like to learn to make more handicrafts, my dream is to be able to do a nursing course.”
Lourdes Diaz Sanguino
Maria Blanco Sanches
Maria was born 6th May 1962 in the department of Norte de Santander in the North East of Colombia, she is married and has three grown up children whose ages are 27, 23 and 22. She now lives in the village of Bella Vista.
Her house is made of wooden planks and does not have flooring, so it’s only dirt. In spite the poor conditions she lives in, she is a very generous person and is willing to open her home to visitors.
Maria was able to study up to second year of primary school and is a house wife.
Maria has learnt to make crafts, management of solid residues and organic farming. Maria would like to perfect the making of handicrafts such as crochet and she would like to have her own crafts business.”
Maria Blanco Sanches
Ana Sofia Blanco Sanchez
Ana Sofia was born on the 25th January, she is married and has four grown up children ages: 27, 25, 24 and 22. She lives in the village of Bella vista in a house which they own.
Ana only managed to study up to year four of primary school; she has done workshops in: organic fertilizers, upkeep of vegetable patches, management of solid residues and handicrafts.
Ana says: “I would like to learn jewellery making and sewing. My dream is to be able to have my own business and continue making the most of the workshops that organizations bring to us.”
Since Ana wrote this, she has learnt to make jewellery, candles and soaps.
Ana Sofia Blanco Sanchez
leidy Tatiana Giraldo
Leidy was born on the 9th April 1992 in a town called San Luis in the department of Antioquia in the north-west of Colombia.
She now lives in Puerto Pinzon, a remote village near the Paujil nature reserve in central Colombia.
The village has very little opportunities for young girls like Leidy so they are at great risk of becoming prostitutes.
Leidy is one of the very few who has been able to get to high school levels of education as most of the members of the Women for Conservation group have only had the opportunity to do the first few years of primary school.
Leidy’s dreams and aspirations are to be able to finish her high school studies and to become a vet.
leidy Tatiana Giraldo