Sale of Indigenous Art to Help Wayuu Community

A French citizen and Sorbonne PhD recipient, Sarah Moya Machado has spent more than a decade in the oil and gas industry. Outside of her professional life, Sarah Moya Machado has devoted herself to philanthropic initiatives. Among other efforts, she founded Ventana Magica, a project to assist children in Colombia. In recognition of her efforts, she received an award from Colombia’s Wayuu indigenous community. 

For nearly 2,000 years, the Wayuu people have lived in the deserts of Colombia’s La Guajira region. The community members live in thatched huts and survive through a mix of farming, aquaculture, and traditional crafts. However, the traditional ways of the Wayuu are increasingly susceptible to malnutrition, threats to their aquaculture industries, and climate change.

As the story of the Wayuu becomes more well-known outside of Colombia, individuals like Ms. Machado, as well as nonprofit groups, have launched initiatives to support the tribe. One of the most recent efforts involves a duo in North Vancouver, Canada, who are importing handicrafts from Wayuu artisans to sell to Canadian buyers. 

Valentina Pinzón and Paola Perdomo, two Colombian natives, came up with the idea when trying to find charities to help people from their native country. Currently, the team donates a percentage of every sale to Munai, a Colombian nonprofit group that works with children in impoverished areas.