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Yakumama... (Mother Water)

The Inca worshipped many gods and goddesses. Most of them represented the elements and natural phenomena such as rain, thunder, earth and sea.

Yakumama is a Quechua word that means Mother Water. This water goddess was portrayed as a snake. When she came to the earth's surface, she transformed into a great river. She could also pass to the upper world. In that shape she was called Illapa meaning thunder and lightning.

Yakumama was believed to control subterranean and mountain streams, blessing the fields with nourishment and springing fresh water from the earth. The complement of Chiqui Illapa, she was associated with ukupacha, the lower kingdom of heaven.

Yakumama means Mother Water, and we are a group of women in connection with her, we produce together, and in this way we become part of the process of growth and development of ourselves, our families, our community and our country.

But we don't produce common things, and we don't make crafts in series. We make unique crafts, each one of the pieces is exclusive, even more, we work with noble materials… natural fibers, recyclable and biodegradable, environment friendly; and totally made in Costa Rica.

Yakumama was born in 2006, at the beginning it was only an idea developed in a Women’s Group at Amistad Institute in Costa Rica, but it got strong, and became a dream, to become a reality after.

Yakumama was founded by 5 women, with the support of one organization, and their families. Each of them also unique:

Gaby… Animation and dynamism, freshness and capacity. Gaby is creek, she dilutes and flows, she moves and circulates in a serene but constant movement.

Maga… Action and determination, audacity and darkness. Maga is waterfall, is water that falls, it is action blow, and resolution that invites to the movement.

Vicky… Decision and happiness, bustle and creativity. Vicky is river; she is water in action, always in movement and in disposition.

Rosita… Sweetness and love, softness and affection. Rosita is a canal; she is the connection, the bridge, the joint, and the conciliatory force.

Rebeca… Vibration and alteration, organization and ideas. Rebeca is rain, water that refreshes and transforms, that mitigates and moderates; prepares and harmonizes.

And is in this way that the Mother Water -Yakumama - influences us, determines us, and protect us.