Atánquez
Colombia
Ancestral wisdom in motion.
A Kankuamo community in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta keeping ancestral weaving, medicine, and music alive. Led by Anosh El Atanquero, Atánquez is working toward fair trade for artisans and tourism that honours the land, the people, and their traditions.
The Community
Atánquez is home to the Kankuamo people, known for their deep connection to the Sierra Nevada. The community lives by balance, caring for land, people, and spirit. Their main income comes from weaving mochilas, but the artisans often receive very little because of unfair intermediaries. Anosh El Atanquero, a digital creator and cultural representative, shares their stories and music with pride.
Community Dream
Create a fair-trade system that protects women artisans and ensures that culture generates income fairly. Develop cultural exchanges around weaving, music, and traditional medicine, where visitors can learn directly from the community.
What we are co creating
A community model that connects artisans, digital storytellers, and fair-trade partners. Atánquez could become a training and exchange hub where ancestral knowledge meets entrepreneurship.
Obstacles
• Exploitative intermediaries controlling sales
• Low digital visibility and marketing capacity
• Limited access to fair-trade buyers and logistics
Our Story Together
We stayed with Anosh and his family, visited the local radio, met elders, and watched artisans weave fique mochilas. We walked through the hills and shared meals cooked over fire. The beauty and wisdom of the Sierra Nevada were everywhere, along with the challenge of living between two worlds — the traditional and the digital.
We don’t ask for donations. Instead, we collaborate with communities to co-create physical and digital products, from recipes to experiences, that you can buy, gift, or enjoy.
Every purchase fuels local learning, reinvests into community growth, and supports long-term self-sustainability.
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The power of the collective starts here.
Social media becomes social elevation.
Every like, share and view generates income for creators and funds real community projects.
This is what the power of the collective looks like.
