knitting Album by ELCA World Hunger Appeal. Photos by Sue Edison-Swift and Kathryn Sime. 1 - 37 of 37 Total.
enlarge 56KB, 640x480 1 P1010213 Edgar Ramirez Rivera, a staff person with the "San Javier del Peru," one of the NGOs participating in AMUZLEH, the "Asociacion de Municipios de la Zona Dentro de la Provincia de Huancavelica." This unique cooperative of NGOs coordinates the efforts in six districts: Palca, Huando, Nuevo Occoro, Laria, Cuenca, Izcuchaca.Edgar: San Javier focuses on bilingual education (Quechua and Spanish) and agri-business. Looks at the whole productive chain. For example, the Alpaca project: What does the animal need to eat? How do we improve the genetics? How do we improve the wool, and make the most of the handcrafts made with the wool?
enlarge 66KB, 640x426 2 DSC 7827 Shepherdess with baby and her flock, on a mountain road outside of Huando, Peru.
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enlarge 58KB, 426x640 4 DSC 7831 The crocheting never stopped...crocheting while walking...talking...listening...
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enlarge 52KB, 640x426 7 DSC 7834 The daughters want to learn, too. They start with making pom-poms. We asked Cynthia (right) what she liked about knitting/crocheting. "It's a good way to relax," she said.
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enlarge 56KB, 640x426 10 DSC 7838 Making yarn the old-fashioned way.
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enlarge 71KB, 640x426 14 DSC 7843 Consuelo is the director of the workshop and is a staff person with San Javier, a local NGO, who coordinates many projects relating to alpacas, including this handcraft project.
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enlarge 54KB, 640x480 18 P1010262 The woman speaking is in charge of the distribution of materials.
enlarge 57KB, 426x640 19 DSC 7847 Georgia demonstrates how the $500 machine makes quicker work of making yarn from alpaca wool. WHA gifts, through partner LWR and local NGO San Javier, made the purchase of this machine possible.
enlarge 57KB, 426x640 20 DSC 7851 The workshop uses natural dyes...the leaves from this plant are used to dye wool grey and yellow. Catus bugs are used to make red and purple dyes.
enlarge 50KB, 640x426 21 DSC 7852 There are 19 women active in the Taller Artesanal Workshop, making handcrafts, often with apalca wool (they do use other natural fibers). There are 500 women involved in handcrafts in the region, part of the association of NGOs we learned about at the beginning of the day.
enlarge 55KB, 426x640 22 DSC 7853 "We can come here [to the workshop community room] and leave the problems at home. By working together we have better quality control and we can teach each other techniques."
enlarge 51KB, 427x640 23 DSC 7854 Beneta Castellanos Casavilca is president of the workshop: "Thank you so much for your support, it means so much."
enlarge 64KB, 640x426 24 DSC 7862 While the women were telling us about their handcraft workshop, these two girls went about "dressing" Kathryn to their great delight.
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enlarge 57KB, 640x426 26 DSC 7869 We had our pictures taken with the woman who made the hat we received as a gift.
enlarge 62KB, 640x426 27 DSC 7871 We had our pictures taken with the woman who made the hat we received as a gift.
enlarge 44KB, 640x426 28 DSC 7872 The women create two or three products every two days. The project distributor gives out the yarn/materials. The associate returns the same weight of materials in a finished product. When the pieces are sold, a percentage of the sale price goes to the producer, a percentage to the workship and a percentage goes to the community bank.
enlarge 75KB, 640x426 29 DSC 7874 Our time together was too short...just one more picture...but it's time to go, we have to get to our hotel for a dinner meeting before this day is over.
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enlarge 64KB, 640x426 33 DSC 7898 Our last visit of our trip was to the office of San Javier, an NGO that LWR works with closely. The focus on bilingual education (Spanish and Quechua), agriculture, and eco-business (trout farms, artisan handcrafts, natural/herbal medicines). Its founder, Dr. Luz Maria Alvarez Calderons, established the University for Andean Development, the first university offering classes in both Quechua and Spanish.
enlarge 101KB, 640x426 34 DSC 7896 San Javier's rosemary project takes seedlings to farm families in the region. "A plant lasts seven years; it can be cut twice a year. They cut it, take it to the market, and have money. Everyone works on the project...men, women, and children." Rosemary is used as an antioxidant, a stress-reliever, in aroma therapy, as a condiment, and as an oil.
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enlarge 99KB, 640x480 36 P1010268e The llamas are tagged/identified with these "earring tassels."
enlarge 69KB, 426x640 37 DSC 7745 Abbie Kretz (interpreter); Eduardo Contreras Ivarcena, LWR Peru Program Manager; Kathryn Sime, Director, ELCA World Hunger Appeal; Pedro Veliz Marquez, LWR Regional Representative.
