The Sierra Madre Network
Strengthening women's economic autonomy & leadership through regional textile cooperatives.
The Sierra Madre Network is a women-led regional cooperative network in the Sierra Otomí-Tepehua region of Hidalgo, Mexico.
Since 2022, over 80 rural and Indigenous women have joined the network as active collaborators strengthening regional economic autonomy and leadership.
Through PSYDEH’s ongoing training in cooperative approaches to production, commercialization, leadership, and governance, women artisans and entrepreneurs transform traditional embroidery and textile knowledge into sustainable livelihood opportunities— advancing both cultural and community resilience.
PSYDEH Program Objectives
1
Personal & cooperative skills building
2
Entrepreneurship & business development
3
Leadership & governance training
4
Market access & strategic partnerships
We are learning to work together as a group of Indigenous women. We attend workshops that are offered to us free of charge and we come because we see they are for our own benefit and for the benefit of our family in the future."Rosa, member, Tierra de Bordadoras cooperative
PSYDEH Program Outcomes
Increased economic autonomy for women
✓ Cooperative Autonomy & Economic Empowerment
Expanded, sustainable market opportunities
✓ Territorial Resilience & Regenerative Development
Stronger cooperatives & greater collective decision-making power
✓ Leadership & Civic Participation
The cooperatives are very important and with PSYDEH there is ongoing support. They help us to recognize the value our work. We have learned and achieved so many new milestones, and working together we have better results.Marisela Valdez, member, Yu Dan Xu Mpfi Di Toi cooperative
Cooperative Products
Cooperatives create handmade embroidery that honors traditional techniques while innovating for contemporary markets.
Limited edition collections
Handmade homegoods
Accessories and gifts
Custom collaborative pieces
Regional Textile Techniques
Natural Dyes & Textile Innovation
In the last year, with support from multiple foundation partners, the Sierra Madre Network has begun investigating the use of natural plant dyes in traditional textiles, experimenting with native flowers, leaves, bark, and other locally sourced materials to create distinctive color palettes that celebrate the region's biodiversity while developing entirely new, sustainably crafted collections.