Capacity-building for rural women artisans in Peru

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Capacity-building for rural women artisans in Peru

Capacity Building: Spinning Skills

Most of the artisans we work with live in rural communities and have practiced their craft from a very young age as part of daily life. They are highly capable of producing quality work but often lack the outlets necessary to generate income from their labor. Awamaki aims to build upon the existing base of skills by further developing the business practices and strategic knowledge necessary to maneuver in an increasingly globalized world. We aim to not only empower our artisans financially, but to also help them build self-confidence and pride in what they do. As a result, we hope that they will not see their position as artisans as a dead end or lack of options, but rather as a viable source of income that is respected internationally.

Weaving Immersion Workshop

Awamaki approaches education as a mutual exchange of knowledge. We offer our artisans regular capacity-building workshops to help improve their skills and gain the confidence and business know-how to eventually manage their own sales. Additionally, we find it important that both foreigners and the local community value and understand the work that goes into artisanal production. Through our sustainable tourism program, tourists can visit our partner communities, see how the women work and have a chance to test their own skills to fully comprehend the difficulty of perfecting the traditional methods our artisans have practiced for generations.

Hope for Future Generations

Awamaki works with local artisan collectives to facilitate access to markets that might not otherwise be available to them. In doing so, our artisans are able to enjoy greater financial independence. Each of the women in our cooperatives receives a fair wage and has the liberty to spend her personal income how she chooses. Many speak of using the money to educate their children so that they will have more opportunities in life. A portion of the profits from their work also goes towards a shared account that each cooperative collectively decides on how to invest. Our long-term goal is that our artisans will eventually become self-sufficient and organize themselves in ways that enable them to make a reasonable living from their skills.