Báko (Báh-Co) FAQ

Who is Báko?

Báko, pronounced Bah-co, is an importing company specializing in handmade bags, with a focus on items made by women and women’s co-ops from around the world.

Where did the name Báko come from?

Báko came from a miscommunication while living in the bush of Nigeria. People speak English in Nigeria, however the English is very different and in the remote bush of Nigeria where we were living, it is even more unique in word use, sentence structure and accent. All of these factors make communication extremely difficult. Báko is the word that I used to call the popular market bag for three years. That is what I thought the Nigerians were calling it but it was obviously wrong to everyone but me, and no one ever chose to correct me. It wasn’t until almost one year after I moved from Nigeria that I discovered on Facebook that I had been pronouncing the word wrong! I was calling the market bag a Báko bag when it was actually a Bagco bag!

Where can you find Báko products?

Currently Báko products are sold on Bakobags.com as well as retail shops primarily in Colorado. Báko sells direct to customers as well as wholesale to specialty shops and fair trade shops.  Báko can be found at:

• Belly Bliss- 300 Josephine Street, Denver CO
• Lillies- 2525 Araphaho Ave Boulder, CO
• Studio M- Broomfield, CO
• Changes Salon- 1542 US Hwy 421 Boone, NC
• Hipcycle.com

What is Báko known for?

Our quality-crafted handmade bags are eye-catching, beautiful, functional and sturdy.

What sets Báko apart?

At Báko we focus on women helping women by providing a market for selling high quality, unique, handmade bags. Behind each product is a story, behind each woman artisan is a story that Báko wants to share. Báko also works to develop partnerships with the communities that produce the bags. Through our Give Back Program, a portion of Báko profits are used to reinvest into the lives or the artisans and the communities where the bags originate from.

How does Báko maintain communication with its international partnerships?

We primarily use phone, email and Facebook as our means of communication with our partnerships; however many challenges are faced when working internationally beyond the obvious language barrier. In Nigeria for example, despite being an oil rich country, they frequently experience fuel shortages, and due to limited national electricity, remote cell phone towers across the country are run with generators that require fuel. When there is no fuel available to run the generator at the cell phone tower, internet and phone service will go down, crippling the countries communication and as well as challenging our commnication with our partners.  In the Philippines, because of the time difference they are technically working one day ahead of America. When I send an email today, they receive it in the Philippines tomorrow and I get a response the next day making all of our business transactions double the usual time.

These challenges are just a small example of what Báko faces working internationally. However, it is through these challenges that Báko persists to create lasting partnerships, facilitating business transactions that support economies in remote locations.

 Meet Abby Anderson

Abby Anderson is the owner and founder of Báko in Denver, Colorado. Abby has a wide variety of skills and thrives when doing something outside of her comfort zone and skill set. Báko is another one of those adventures.

The idea of Báko was born from a long history of travel, but it wasn’t until after living internationally and participating in humanitarian/mission work for 3 1/2 years, that the idea became a reality. Seeing and experiencing the poverty that most of the world lives in and watching the struggles of the women (that she called her friends) made a significant impact. She desired to help the women long term in the areas in which she served. Empowering and educating women in other cultures looks very different than what it looks like in the USA, and it needs to be addressed in a culturally sensitive manner. Livelihoods are fundamental, and women’s livelihoods provide much needed income for food, shelter, water and education for their children. Women are less likely to be educated than men and thus must rely on skills to provide income for their families. For the women of Báko these skills come in the form of making handmade bags.

Having no prior experience in running a shop or importing goods into the USA, Abby pushed forward holding the stories and memories of the communities in which she served.  Báko is a company built from these stories and Báko is a company that has a foundation that focuses on giving back to the women and the communities in which Abby has served. By creating partnerships, and through the sale of the bags, Báko expands the potential for small business by women empowering women.