Awamaki Journal: A Blog About Textiles, Travel and the Sacred Valley – tagged "Category_Cooperatives"

Aug 04, 2020

Huilloc Alto Chronicles

Written by Volunteer Photographer Doriana Westerman during her visit last November 2019. All Images taken by her. The air smells sweet. There’s definitely a hint of mint but it’s more complex than that. It’s a vivid smell that you might only have here in this particular place. Herbs and fresh mountain air infused with sunshine. It’s warm out and I take off my jacket to feel the sunshine on my arms. We’ve just followed trails up a beautiful mountainside and will relax here while the artisans weave like they do many days of their lives here in Huilloc Alto....

Sep 20, 2019

Our Compañera: Virginia

By Ashley Wade, Marketing and Communications Intern Virginia (pronounced veer-HEEN-ee-ya) is the leader of her cooperative located in Huilloc Bajo, which participates in Awamaki’s sustainable tourism program. She learned to weave when she was 10 years old, and she has been weaving almost every day since. “My mom and my...

Sep 18, 2019

Weaving Solidarity

For this blog, we wanted to share a recent interview we did with our head Designer, Alejandra Carrillo-Muñoz. She has been working with us for 3 years and it has been through this long term relationship that we have been able to see a great expansion in our collections. But...

Sep 03, 2019

What is an Awamaki Media and Communications Workshop Like?

What is an Awamaki Media and Communications Workshop Like? By Sarah Crable, Marketing and Communications Intern After about two and a half hours of driving through the mountains, past herds of alpacas and stunning views of Apu Veronica, we came into a valley dotted with red roofs. As we (four...

Aug 10, 2019

Our Compañera: Herminia

Our Compañera: HerminiaBy Brianna Griesinger, Marketing and Communications Coordinator and Allegra Bundy, Marketing and Communications Intern Herminia is an artisans from our spinning cooperative of Qusi Qoyllor in the community of Huilloc. At 31-years-old, she is part of a majority of our partner artisans who have completed primary school but...

Jul 16, 2019

Crafting New Connections

Crafting New ConnectionsBy Veronica Levy, Marketing and Communications Coordinator As an indigenous artisan in the Cusco region, the farther you live from Machu Picchu and the city of Cusco, the fewer economic opportunities you have. Until 2019, the furthest cooperative with which we worked was in the village of Kelkanka,...

Jul 01, 2019

Our Compañera: Gregoria

Our Compañera: GregoriaBy Allegra Bundy, Marketing and Communications Intern As I greet Gregoria in her community of Huilloc Bajo, the air is filled with music from the surrounding Carnival celebrations. These have been going on for a few weeks now and the traditional Andean sounds resonate throughout the whole valley....

May 30, 2019

Our Compañera: Doris

Our Compañera: Doris By Caitlin Lally, Marketing and Communications intern Over the course of eight years in the Patacancha-based cooperative of Songuillay, Doris has come to assume the leadership role of president for their work in sustainable tourism. A mother of four children at the age of 36, our conversation...

Apr 16, 2019

Our Compañera: Josefina

Our Compañera: JosefinaBy Brianna Griesinger “Before we had to plan everything with my husband’s money, but now we can buy other things,” Josefina explains. She has been working with Awamaki for about four years now, and the benefits are clear. Josefina has been married for 18 years, and is a...

Apr 12, 2019

A New Center for Kelkanka

By Emily Radek, Marketing and Communications Intern High in the Andes, the village of Kelkanka is the most remote community where Awamaki works. Four hours from Ollantaytambo, including a short hike, made building a weaving center there a long process. However, after several years, our partner cooperative, Wakanquilla, has finished...

Apr 01, 2019

Our Compañera: Viviana

Our Compañera: Viviana By Caitlin Lally, Marketing and Communications intern At 4,666 meters (15,308 ft) amid the mountains of Patacancha, Peru, I greeted Viviana in her native tongue of Quechua. “Allianchu compañera,” I said as I leaned in for a kiss on the cheek. After taking a walk with her...

Jan 30, 2019

A Trip to Marcapata

By Brianna Griesinger, Marketing and Communications Coordinator It was a Monday, like any other Monday here in Ollanta. Everyone was busy at work, coming and going from the market and the shops. But it wasn’t just any day for the 26 artisans of our partner cooperative Puskariy Tika,...

Jan 30, 2019

Our Compañera: Marcelina

Our Compañera: MarcelinaBy Brianna Griesinger, Marketing and Communications Coordinator Marcelina is a weaver in the Wakanquilla cooperative from the remote community of Kelkanka. She is 24 years old and has 4 children whom she supports with her income from her weavings. Marcelina loves weaving the designs of condors and alpacas...

Oct 11, 2018

Stepping Up to the Challenge

Stepping Up to the ChallengeBy Brianna Griesinger, Marketing and Communications Coordinator Over the course of the past year, we have realized that the development of our 2019 line, Kay Pacha, would be a year of change and growth for many of our artisans. A few months ago, our team led...

Dec 27, 2017

Setbacks that Launch Us Forward

“You’ll have to get out and walk from here the rest of the way,” our driver announced to the passengers on our small tour bus. Carrying all of our belongings for the weekend ahead, we began the near vertical hike up to the community of Huilloc Alto, tucked in a...

Jun 27, 2017

High Standards at High Altitude

By Anna Reeve, Marketing and Communications Intern Nestled high in the mountains amongst the clouds, eighteen women work together in our most remote cooperative. During the rainy season, waterlogged roads and steep hills make for a dangerous ride to the community of Kelkanka. With the dry season in sight,...

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