Toquilla Straw Craftswomen of the Puertas del Cielo Cooperative

The Artisan Production Cooperative Puertas del Cielo (COPROARPU) is an organization of the Popular and Solidarity Economy (EPS) of Ecuador. It brings together 120 women weavers of hats, bags and toquilla straw handicrafts, 100% handmade, from the cantons of Azogues, Déleg and Biblián.

 

COPROARPU has product lines for children, ladies and gentlemen. Its bags are woven with the techniques of crochet or needlework in various sizes, designs and colors. They also offer key rings, headbands, earrings and baskets.

 

It is located in the headquarters of the Cañar Bar Association, Borrero parish, Azogues canton. The place has the machinery to process the hat: a masticating machine, metal moulds, blistering and dyeing tanks.

 

The cooperative promotes the traditional weaving of Ecuadorian toquilla straw hats abroad, participating in international fairs. Their craftswomen are always willing to show their skills in public. Puertas del Cielo during 2017 exported 10.000 hats to European and South American markets. Monthly it produces between 500 to 1,000 hats. It sends products to the United States, Singapore, China, Russia and crocheted bags to Brazil.

 

The results of the organization and community cooperation are the corporate image and brand "Azohat" whose motto is "hands weaving art", the website of the cooperative and the product catalogue. COPROARPU is committed to strengthening the social organization of the toquilla straw artisans associations. It wants to boost the tourist development of Azogues by promoting and disseminating tourism in order to generate more employment and work opportunities.

 

The toquilla straw hat weaving was declared by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity on December 5, 2012. The fabric is native to the province of Manabí. In the 19th century it spread to the south of the country, to Cañar and Azuay, contributing to the development of handicrafts. In the province of Cañar it employs 9,000 people. It is an activity whose knowledge passes from one generation to another in Azogues, Guapán, Luis Cordero, Mazar, Solano, Zhud, Biblián.

 

The Azohat and Bibliak brands of women's organisations have opened up export routes to Europe, Asia and North America.