This ethnic designer and violence victim from Uraba has managed to start a career in the business. Along with other 200 people, she was selected to be a part of this event.

In Medellin’s Plaza Mayor White Pavilion, Local 04, the Cultural Fusion designs of the ethnic designer Carmen Blanco can be found. She is an armed conflict victim who is making her way towards her dreams’ fulfillment in Expoartesano.

On this occasion, Carmen was summoned, and she will show her designs, garments, footwear, bags, belts, bracelets, with “molas” and typical Gunadule indigenous people’s beads from Uraba, as well as turbans, African fabric blouses, and many other options for those who visit the stand.

"The person who contacted me said I was privileged because I had been selected among many Antioquia ventures, and the Government gave me the stand without fee, including lunch every day."

Joined by other artisans from all regions of the country, they can show their original proposal, inspired by the ancestral roots of indigenous and Afro-Colombian culture, highlighting the most representative features of these with modern touches that fit all ages and tastes.

"We are working on this new proposal for Expoartesano, I included some cummerbunds that go hand in hand or intertwined with the corset, which is a garment that well received in Colombiamoda, and it is made with materials that fit all tastes and enhance the women figure."

Expoartesano, the fair organized by Artesanias de Colombia and Plaza Mayor Medellin, takes place from September 24^th to October 3ed, and has a virtual platform that will help to show the work of artisans to ease their commercialization since, according to the reports of its organizers, last year they received around 113,000 visits, including other countries.

“Being at Expoartesano is incredible. I really didn’t expect it. It is a very big challenge, with the fact I was selected among many, that already makes me a winner,” says Carmen.

With dreams and illusions, and with a lot of cloth to go through, she wants to leave behind a hard past of violence. She is preparing for what, in her own words, is unbelievable: “Wonderful things are happening to us. I know we have worked hard, but this leaves us speechless, it fills us with joy. This sends me the message we are doing things right, and today, I only have gratitude to everyone who supports us day after day, such as the Government, the Plaza del Rio shopping center, the Mis Manos Corporation, the Unit for the Victims, and our clients who are the engine,” she adds.

Carmen has been studying and training. Even when everything came to a standstill during the pandemic, her work has been constant, with effort and dedication. At that time, she was chosen by the Unit to participate in the first virtual fair Unidos por las Victimas, which drove her towards the digital market.

Today, she receives support from the Unit for the Victims’ Strategic Entrepreneurship Strengthening Group. Likewise, since August, she was included in the Virtual Yaru Entrepreneurship Program of the WWb Colombia foundation.

“My challenge is to get one or two more people to help me in the workshop, start to channel the patterns, standardize, organize, focus more on objectives, that way I will find the balance point on costing, which are topics that I learned in this course."

Although she considers herself a resourceful and lucky woman, as she has been learning, she knows she needs capital to increase productivity, grow and answer to the needs of the market that she is gaining every day.

(End/CYT/CMC/COG/RAM)