Among the Colombian Caribbean lush savannahs, we can find Sucre and Cordoba departments, and inside them, there are three provinces called: Finzenú, located next to Sinú River, Panzenú, in San Jorge Valley and Zenufana, located in Bajo Cauca and Nechí valleys, these provinces are Amerindian Zenú Indians home, which is an indigenous community engaged in agriculture, animal husbandry and a handmade work elaborated with a vegetal fiber named “Caña Flecha”, in fact, braiding and handicraft which are their most important labor, are made with this fiber.
The Zenú indigenous have been highlighted through history by their goldsmithing, basketmaking and textile tissue with different vegetable fibers, where the “Caña Flecha” braiding is a tradition that has been passed from generation to generation, capturing their culture and the daily life of the people who live in his village. However, their living standards are not the best ones, for instance 57.68% of the population does not have satisfied basic needs and 69.46% live below the poverty line.
Bareke is a Colombian company who feels passion for Zenú culture and was created out of the desire to help and improve these communities’ living standards. Its main business objective is to rescue the best of the Zenú ancestors; creating dignified work sources for indigenous people, craftsmen, and braiders, allowing them to take advantage of their skills and knowledge meanwhile they are obtaining income and living standards.
Bareke’s mission, as they highlight it, is “… to leave a mark of our Colombian culture, with design, art, quality and creativity, useful in the lifestyle”. However, they affirm that more companies like these are necessary, in order to give rise to impact, not only in Zenú indigenous but also in the other indigenous communities that are present in our country.
Through its business model, Bareke company has demonstrated that handicrafts are profitable and that it is possible to give rise to more similar business models that will benefit more craftsmen and communities and could preserve not only their currently culture, but also their future generation`s one. Last year they could sell more than 35 million Colombian pesos and employ more than 50 Zenú communities’ members. Nowadays, they have 5 product lines and expect to have a sales increase. Click on the image to visit their website and delight yourself by watching full of love handicrafts, and their tradition and culture as well.
As Crecì company, we believe in the small and medium-sized businesses power to be change agents, to create on people’s lives and communities, a positive social and environmental impact. Fortunately, we have had Bareke company as a valuable client since 2019, and we feel very proud to be a financial partner for this model company evolution and growth. Through this profile, we would like to share their incredible story with our social impact community, acknowledge their efforts and guarantee that Zenú indigenous communities could be appreciated by their cultural work, could obtain a better life quality, and provide future generations better living standards.
