In the mountain village of Ocotal, Nicaragua, a group of women came together in 2011 to form Fuente de Pinos - a small artisan cooperative.
The women of Fuente de Pinos first learned to weave baskets in 2007, through a workshop organized by the Enlace Project and led by Rochester, NY natives Kellan Morgan and Richard Millard. Using pine needles collected from the forest, thread, and sewing needles, they began handcrafting baskets that were later sold to the occasional tourist or volunteer group - often just one or two groups per year.
For most of these women, weaving is their only source of income outside of caring for their families. Their craftsmanship not only supports their households, but strengthens their entire community. As part of the cooperative, every sale benefits all members - regardless of who made the piece.
Typical rural villages in Nicaragua have 300-1000 community members, no electricity, a single mechanically-pumped water well, and a dirt road. Most families survive by farming, producing coffee, or tending livestock. It is not an easy lifestyle to have. One bad season or crop disease can impact the entire village’s ability to support themselves. And yet, the extreme resourcefulness and kindness of the Nicaraguan people is humbling.
All proceeds from these baskets are returned to Fuente de Pinos to help them grow their business, reach new customers, and create more stability for themselves and their families. When you purchase one of these baskets, you aren’t buying charity. You’re investing in talent, tradition, and a better future led by the women who are building it.
My first trip to Nicaragua was in January 2023, when I joined Linking Hands for Learning to help build a school in El Carrizo. I’ve returned every year since, working on school builds in El Borbollón and Las Lagunetas. See more pictures here
In February 2024, alongside the school build, I began research for my graduate thesis in industrial design - a children’s backpack that could also serve as a work surface for homework and school activities. I spent several months developing this concept in collaboration with a young woman named Anielka Martinez.
By February 2025, I returned once again - not only to continue my thesis work, but to personally invest in the Fuente de Pinos cooperative, which Anielka now helps lead. I brought many of their handwoven baskets back in my checked luggage, with the hope of helping expand their market and creating more sustainable income opportunities for the women in this community. I’m committed to using the resources and access I’ve been given to support the incredible people I’ve met through this work.
