Handmade Cedar Wood and Natural Fiber Bird Figurine in Red 'Red Plumage' Item ID: 2671401036

My name is Angelica Chiles and I consider myself a hardworking person, extremely creative, and I know my family sees me as a good sister. I was born in one of the most beautiful cities in Colombia: Narino. I became pregnant at the age of 22, and the person with whom I had my first child didn't want to raise him with me. That's how I decided to be a single mother and embark on this journey with my son. The hope of providing him with a good upbringing and the best I could gave me a lot of strength. Time heals everything, everything passes, and looking back, I'm grateful for the lessons that have become rewarding today. My son is now 23 years old and is about to graduate with a degree in architecture, and I've been responsible for financing his education. It's one more reason to be proud of both him and myself. As time passed, I found love with someone with whom I had two more children, completing my family with love. The early years of my entrepreneurial journey were tough, but I had the resilience and energy to provide a better life for my first child. My dream is to see all my children successful, with their own businesses because I see how beneficial it is not only for them but also for providing jobs in our community. One of them is about to finish his architecture degree, another is studying medicine, and the youngest is still in school. I remember when I was young and in high school; I had a teacher who taught us art. It was through her that I learned to sew, embroider, and make dolls. After high school, I didn't have the opportunity to attend university, so I had to start working. It was during a challenging period that I got a chance to work in a craft workshop through a friend. I've been in this art for 29 years now. I loved handicrafts so much that I decided to dedicate myself to it forever. In the workshop, I had the opportunity to work with wheat straw, getting to know the fiber up close and gradually evolving into creating artistic pieces. A few years later, I felt the need to start my own business because I realized that I could generate my own income and not be limited to earning only through labor. I wasn't being paid enough, and my children were growing, with the need for a better quality of life. Working with wheat straw is truly wonderful. This is a fiber that gets discarded in agriculture, and I give it a second life, transforming it into various utilitarian and decorative objects. Slowly, the art of wheat straw weaving is gaining recognition, and there's a growing effort to preserve this craft for future generations. What I love the most is the ability to transform something considered waste into something beautiful from scratch. What others discard, I consider gold. I always try to innovate in my product offerings, as I feel like I'm continually creating handmade works of art. My greatest inspiration is nature. Here in Narino, we live surrounded by nature, and the city is in harmony with it. My daily life is visually inspiring and keeps me motivated to keep creating. During the carnival season, there are non-stop dances and colors everywhere. I'm happy to contribute to my community by providing employment, helping the local economy in Narino progress and grow. It's a small city with not much large-scale industry, so by running my workshop, I can offer more jobs to people in need and those interested in learning. In my workshop, I collaborate with mothers who work on finishing tasks from the comfort of their homes, allowing them to be close to their families while working at the same time.