Our Mission:
In Oaxaca, Mexico, an estimated 66% of artisans endure economic hardships due to poor sales, a lack of e-commerce training, and a lack of visitors to their workshops.
Our project strives to empower artisans in Mexico craft a stronger economic future, and to help preserve a country’s cultural traditions through art. We seek to help the artisans expand their market opportunities, using technology to sell their art online and training them on how to run their own e-commerce business.
Our purpose is to create an online marketplace for all artisans to easily be able to distribute their products. Our team will provide the artisans a training program to allow them to sell their products here in the United States, offering new opportunities for profit. This store will serve as a growth opportunity for artisans that otherwise struggle to get their product off the shelves.
Our Plan:
- Contribute to the cultural heritage of Oaxaca by helping to preserve the endangered crafts unique to the region.
- Stimulate the economy in Oaxaca through entrepreneurial solutions and government partnerships.
- Partner with three artisans to launch a pilot Etsy shop as a proof of concept for six months.
- Provide artisans with a training program that will educate them on how to run an e-commerce business and a platform to allow them to export internationally, securing their economic future.
Our Achievements:
- Successfully applied Human Centered Design to propose a sustainable solution for the community of artisans in Oaxaca.
- Partnered with Oaxacan artisans Fernando Cruz, Sandra Robledo and Esteban Palma to be part of our pilot program on Etsy.
- Established a partnership with the Avanzando Latino Mentoring Program at UMKC to connect with business professionals in the Kansas City Metro Area.
- Sold a total of fourteen crafts from our three artisans through an online auction and personal connections.
- Managed to import our first shipment of crafts from our artisans in Mexico for the launch of the Etsy shop.
Our Future:
Enactus will ensure the continued success of the team, continuing to work with our collaborators, and eventually expand to all artisans that will benefit from this program. After the pilot is over, and if proven successful, we will then create a new e-commerce platform that will be open to all artisans.
The new platform will be a marketplace where each artist will operate their own profile and eventually be equipped with the skills needed to market their products online, allowing them to sell even with a lack visitors to their workshops. Cultura En Tus Manos will be known for carrying fair trade, handmade crafts that empower the artisans to build a successful economic future and preserve their cultural heritage.
Join Our Team:
Project meeting time is currently being rescheduled, and the team is not having meetings at this moment. For more information, contact Project Leader, Lesly Romo ldrbmw@umsystem.edu!
