Alicia San Marcos – Accessories for education, shopping for good.

Over the past year I have shifted my perspective on purchasing goods.  I have made a real concerted effort not to buy any clothing or accessories,unless they are second-hand, or provide some sort of benefit to others.  That’s why I was so excited when I discovered  Alicia San Marcos – Accessories for Education, shopping for good.

I was in need for both a weekend tote and everyday purse, but did not want to buy anything new.  I felt better about purchasing a purse and tote from this company, as I knew that part of the proceeds would go towards something that was beneficial to those in need.

The weekend tote by Alicia San Marcos is beautifully designed, sturdy, stylish, colorful and roomy, great for a weekend getaway or overnight trip.  http://aliciasanmarcos.com/collections/weekend-totes

I discovered these beautifully colorful bags, purses and travel totes from designer Nicole and Michelle Bakva, creator of Alicia San Marcos.

Alicia San Marcos was inspired by a women from San Marcos, Guatemala named Alicia, because of financial constraints, she was unable to have a proper education.  Not wanting the same scenario for her young children, she decided to move the United States in hopes of giving her children a better life, education, and future.

Nicole was so inspired by Alicia’s brave story, it inspired her to create the brand Alicia San Marcos.   After her experiences traveling in developing countries, and seeing how many of the local artisans were living in poverty while still producing beautiful, handmade products and accessories, Nicole wanted to give back in some way.  Thus Alicia San Marcos was born.

The company is dedicated to the importance of education and its ability to break the cycle of poverty.   They are equally dedicated to serving those in need, and creating opportunities for others to succeed.

The company was founded on the promise of providing access to education for children in Guatemala, a country where over 50% of people live in impoverished conditions.  In Guatemala the greatest barriers are both education and poverty.  Each Alicia San Marcos purchase goes directly toward funding these needs.

Not only are her bags beautiful, colorful and unique, but they  are also helping those in need.  10% of each purchase made goes to donating much-needed school supplies to Ninos de Guatemala, Organization, http://ninosdeguatemala.org/app/webroot/and Casa Bernabe, http://www.foce.org/nonprofit organization.

So far the brand has donated over 32,000 much-needed school supplies such as; (Meals, Snacks, Pens, Pencils, Paper, Glue, Tape, Notebooks, and Markers) to these organizations.

For more information and to shop for products see their website at:

http://aliciasanmarcos.com/