In September 2010 Awamaki launched its new cooperative of knitters from Huayroncoyocpampa, a small community outside of Ollantaytambo. The devastating floods that swept the Sacred Valley in January 2010 nearly wiped out this community. The floods destoyed homes and livelihoods. Families had no option but to live in government-provided tents without gas, electricity, and water; as of time of writing, many families are still there. The rebuilding process has been full of promises but severely restricted by lack of resources. Many families have only one plot of land and perhaps one family member working in the tourism industry. As both agricultural land and the tourism industry were severely affected by the floods, few families have the resources to start over.

Awamaki received donations to help this community rebuild their lives. We chose to invest a portion of these funds into launching knitting cooperative that would provide the women from these households with a sustainable source of income. Our small group consists of mothers who meet twice weekly to knit and learn new stitches guided by Nelly Mejia, our knitting master from the city of Cusco. Nelly is also a social worker, and she is sensitive to the issues that the women are facing.

We have launched the project using a cooperative, profit-sharing business model. When the knitter sells a piece, she invests a portion of her earnings into a common fund. Awamaki matches by 400% any money the women invest into this cooperative fund. The fund serves as a communal savings account for the women.

Awamaki is happy to announce that we have bought our first range of sample products from the women, featuring accessory styles made with fine Peruvian alpaca yarn. These samples are currently being shown to prospective buyers in the UK and US. Awamaki will also be selling knitwear in our store in Ollantaytambo. The next few months will be an exciting time for our knitters, and we hope to continue developing and expanding the cooperative to help as many women and families in the community as possible.