Preservation of Cultural Heritage

Through many of her designs, Lula seeks not only to offer the world products that are unique, and handmade, with social and environmental awareness, but also contribute to the preservation of artisanal techniques that give El Salvador an identity as a country. 

WHAT IS HAPPENING?

  • At present, many ancient artisanal techniques are disappearing in El Salvador because they are not correctly valued, since the income that the artisans receive for the sale of their crafts is low and irregular in time. Many decide to work in other trades and stop producing crafts with the artisanal techniques they master. 
  • New generations are not inspired to learn artisanal techniques, since they don’t see in them a possibility for improving their quality of life. 
  • Artisans are unable to access global marketing channels because they tend to remain only within their communities. 
  • Many artisans have not found the methodology or the infrastructure to pass on their knowledge to the new generations.

WHAT IS LULA MENA DOING?

  • Lula designs lines of products using artisanal techniques that are disappearing in El Salvador, such as weaving in a lever and double frame looms, and markets them throughout the world. This enables communities of artisans to access fair and sustainable work opportunities by producing Lula’s designs. 
  • Lula has trained a group of women, “Weaving Hope”, in handling the lever loom; which has been used traditionally by men, thereby bringing this technique back to life, as well as creating sustainable work opportunities for women. 
  • Lula has trained another group of women, “Waves of Hope”, in handling the double frame loom, thereby also maintaining alive this technique and creating sustainable work opportunities for women. 
  • Lula uses innovative materials, such as copper wire from no longer used electrical power meters.  She combines it with artisanal techniques that result in products of unique design that meet the demands of international markets due to their uniqueness and beauty, while she manages to keep these techniques alive.