A Brand Rooted in Wayuu Territory 

In the heart of La Guajira, Colombia, just minutes from Riohacha, the Wayuu Indigenous community of Los Cabritos has embarked on a transformative journey: converting its cultural identity into a unique brand that represents its territory, ancestral wisdom, and vision for the future. This is how Tierra Coulit was born, an initiative led by women that emerged as a response to the challenges of energy transition in the region. The project aims to position artisanship as an expression of culture, dignity, and sustainable development.

From Collective Reflection to Market Competitiveness 

The process of building Tierra Coulit began with a collective reflection. This initiative evolved from the community’s Life Plan, and it’s enabling the Los Cabritos community to strengthen the commercialisation of its woven products and consolidate its own commercial identity. 

Through workshops and spaces for dialogue, women artisans and community leaders asked each other: “Who are we? What makes us unique? What do we want the world to know about us?” These questions marked the beginning of a participatory process in which the community was the protagonist at every stage. 

Supported by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) through the Innovation Regions for a Just Energy Transition (IKI JET) project, the community identified the elements that define its cultural and productive identity. The following foundations were built from this participatory process: 

• Identifying symbolic value: The weaves, colours, materials, and stories accompanying each artisanal piece were recognised as carriers of profound cultural and symbolic value. 

• Capacity building: Skills and knowledge were strengthened within the community in areas such as costs, pricing, added value, and commercialisation strategies, aiming to facilitate sustainable market participation. 

• Innovation with tradition: The process included developing the brand’s visual identity and creating a pilot collection of products that integrates tradition with innovation. 

• Defining the brand’s DNA: Through collectively analysing the potential market opportunities for authentic products rooted in Wayuu culture, the attributes of Tierra Coulit were defined: authenticity, sustainability, natural elegance, and a connection with the territory. 

Why “Coulit”? A symbol of life and resilience 

The brand name holds a powerful metaphor. For the community, the Coulit is a local plant that signals the presence of water in the arid lands of La Guajira. As such, it is a symbol of life and fertility in the territory. 

Using this metaphor, the brand expresses the relationship between the land, the culture, and the artisans’ work. More than just a company name, Tierra Coulit represents a declaration of identity. Each piece reflects knowledge passed down through generations and the deep bond between the community and its territory. 

“When the community weaves, we don’t just create products. We weave roots, we weave memory, and we weave the future. That is Tierra Coulit.” — Ada, Wayuu woman and weaver from Tierra Coulit

Working Together Towards a Just Energy Transition 

As La Guajira seeks to diversify its economy in the face of declining coal mining activity, Tierra Coulit stands as a model for productive diversification. The project demonstrates that the transition is not just about changing energy sources but also an opportunity for local communities, led by women, to generate autonomous and sustainable livelihoods. 

In its pilot phase, the initiative is directly involving a group of 30 women artisans from the Los Cabritos community, who actively participate in the design, production, and commercialisation processes. Furthermore, the process promotes the participation of adults, young people, and children, who are integrated into training activities, generational handover, productive support, and preserving cultural identity, thus strengthening an inclusive and community-based approach. 

It is projected that the income derived from this artisanal activity will progressively complement traditional economic sources, reducing dependency on activities associated with mining and strengthening more sustainable local economies. 

Additionally, Tierra Coulit contributes directly to closing gender gaps in La Guajira by recognising, making visible, and paying for the work of women artisans, who have historically had limited access to their own income and economic decision-making spaces. The initiative is strengthening their organisational capacities, promoting their financial autonomy, and positioning their ancestral knowledge as a key asset for territorial development. 

Today, Tierra Coulit is more than a brand; it is a collective narrative reflecting the community’s cultural pride and its commitment to a future where economic development goes hand in hand with identity. Each piece represents artisanship, education for new generations, family livelihoods, and recognition for the work of women artisans. 

All photos courtesy of Hilo Sagrado 

Virginia Margarita Manjarres is a Business Administrator and Master’s graduate in research and development project management, with over 16 years of experience in sustainability and territorial development. She leads the social component of GIZ’s work in Colombia under the IKI JET project.