Our history

“Empowering indigenous artisans”

Once the civil war in Guatemala ended, the lack of work, the devalued prices of handmade fabrics and many families depending on these types of work motivated our founder Candis Krummel (American) and our Co-Founder Antonio Ramírez Sosof to start a business where the direct beneficiaries were women weavers.

From the union, strength and desire to excel of the artisans and artisans together with the vision of Candis and Antonio, Asociación Cojolya was founded in 1996 to empower indigenous artisans to improve their quality of life and the preservation of the art of the woven on a backstrap loom, facilitating access to fair jobs and fair global markets.

Our Vision

Transcend and promote designs in the art of backstrap loom weaving by strengthening the productive capacity of artisans to enter high-quality international markets.

Our mission

Dedicated to the conservation of the ancient Mayan tradition of backstrap loom weaving as well as the customs and traditions that surround it, not only as a historical relic, but as an economically viable source of work for women weavers.