Our History

The Hilo Sagrado Foundation was founded in 2013 by Sabrina Prioli, an Italian anthropologist, with the goal of preserving the cultural legacy of the Wayuu people and empowering the women of these communities. In 2015, Prioli retired and handed over the Foundation to Emilia Torres, Ana Maria Torres, and Natalia Bertel, a multidisciplinary team of women leaders in engineering, design, and social innovation with extensive international experience. Together, they committed to generating social change in Wayuu communities through the economic empowerment of women and the implementation of social projects that would holistically improve their quality of life. Through workshops and a focus on improving production and quality, Hilo Sagrado supported the community's participation in the first expoartesanía fair in 2016. The Foundation was selected by Artisan Resource to be incubated and take its brand to the most important lifestyle fair in the United States, marking the beginning of its experience in penetrating the international market.

Hilo Sagrado's core focus is education, economic empowerment, and sustainable development. They work closely with Indigenous communities, fostering the preservation of ancestral traditions and supporting the creation of unique, designer handcrafted products. Through the fair and sustainable marketing of these crafts, they seek to ensure that the value of their work reaches the hands that deserve it. Additionally, the Foundation implements social projects to address communities' basic needs, such as access to safe water, infrastructure improvements, the recovery of ancestral construction techniques, facade beautification, food security, and additional income generation. They also train women in business skills, financial management, and marketing, with the goal of empowering them as successful leaders and entrepreneurs in their own communities.

With each piece of art and each social project, the Sacred Thread Foundation weaves threads of hope and transforms realities. They show the world that a small thread can unite a large community and make a difference in the future of generations to come.