Maya Bags

MayaBags is a handmade, design-driven accessories collection, inspired by nature and crafted with the artisanal skills and spirit of the Maya. When you shop MayaBags, you help us fulfill our mission to empower indigenous female artisans of Belize.

MayaBags is a proud member of the Nest artisan guild, a global community of over 400 artisan businesses practicing diverse craftsmanship across more than 70 nations. In partnership with Nest, a non-profit 501(c)(3), we are working toward a more inclusive global economy that brings increased opportunity to our craftspeople, their families, and their communities.

Our Retailers:

Alaia Belize, Ambergris Caye
Hamanasi Resort, Hopkins
Turtle Inn Resort, Placencia
Lauren Duty Free Departure, Belize International Airport
Seabird Dwellings, Palencia
The Phoenix Resort, Ambergris Caye
Xanadu Island Resort, Ambergris Caye
Copal Tree Lodge, Toledo District
Hicatee Cottages, Toledo District
Blue Belize Inn, Punta Gorda Town
Coral House, Punta Gorda Town

Our Mission and Goals

MayaBags was founded in 1999 by Judy Bergsma, Jovita Sho and, five Maya artisans from different villages in the Maya Mountains of Belize. Today, our talented team of shareholder/artisans has grown to over ninety.

Five Fundamental Goals

1. Foster Ancient Skills Embroidery; back-strap looming; basket-coiling from rainforest plant fiber; slate, coconut, and gourd carving; hand-processing fiber and hand-making rope from agave; leather processing using a fully-natural and ancient method of curing the hides with eggs, water and bark; leather cutting and stitching

2. Teach Financial Literacy Familiarizing women with the local banking system, which many have never used before; including all the women in the shareholders’ annual meetings, using visual analogies and translators to take them through the balance sheets; counseling women individually on how to balance their budgets so that they can send their children to school, keep food on the table, and pay their bills

3. Inspire Personal Achievement Developing quality employment skills; raising Maya women’s self-esteem and giving them an independent voice in their families and communities and in MayaBags as a shareholder; rotating the team leader’s position in each village MayaBags’ team so each team member can experience the role as a leader

4. Build a Village Economy Creating jobs where there were none; empowering Maya women; providing a stable source of income; creating a role model for other entrepreneurial ventures, outside of the norm of slash and burn farming; with a larger number of people in the village employed, more cash gets circulated inside the village, helping small stores and vendors with their businesses

5. Celebrate Creativity Reinvigorating Maya pride in their traditions and environment; combining designer and artisanal product concepts; balancing vivid and traditional Maya colors with Pantone seasonal colors; executing beautifully detailed construction; employing hand-made craftsmanship to create luxury quality