SAJAMA - Handmade leather backpack, Bolivia

Our SAJAMA backpack is part of our Impact Line. Our approach is to source from small family workshops with as few middlemen as possible. Rather than saying a small percentage of our revenue goes to charity, we aim for 100% of our production costs to flow directly to the people who do the work. No large manufacturers, wholesalers or distributors.

We buy directly from the people who carry out the work. We deliberately choose to keep as many steps as possible done by hand, even where a machine could do them, such as the traditional tanning and working of the leather for our SAJAMA backpacks from Bolivia. We choose to increase the manual effort and the production time of our products, which in turn creates more work and strengthens people's ability to support their families.

In this case, the small workshop was able to employ 2 local artisans for the entire production period and support their families.

The leather we use has a number of special qualities. It is tanned and worked using traditional methods, which gives it exceptional durability and a unique character. Each piece of leather develops a beautiful patina over time, making the material feel even more special. The natural grain of the leather makes every backpack a one-of-a-kind piece. Because of the gentle, traditional processing, the natural properties of the leather are preserved: it is robust while staying supple and water-repellent.

The vegetable tannins used are environmentally friendly and free of harmful chemicals. Unlike industrially produced leather, this traditionally tanned leather ages better and gains character over time.

18 litre volume. 100% handmade from leather in Bolivia, crafted in a small family-run atelier. Production of this limited edition took eight months, as every step was carried out entirely by hand.