The economy of Peru’s Sacred Valley has long been intertwined with the seasons. Rural communities typically grow crops and raise livestock to support themselves and to exchange with others, a process that requires attunement to nature and its cycles, and how these patterns influence self-sufficiency.
This is especially true for the Quechua communitiesIndigenous peoples who have long worked for their livelihood rather than for government coins. In recent years, health clinics, schools, markets and transportation, all requiring residents to use cash, have slowly eroded this way of life. Today, many Quechua men leave their communities to work in tourism, which provides an income and the opportunity to learn Spanish. Conversely, women often stay at home to care for children and farms, making them dependent on the support of their partners and relatives.
In 2009, the non-profit organization Awamaki founded to help communities around Ollantaytambo, Cusco, navigate this change. US-based Kennedy Leavens and Peru’s Miguel Galdo had previously worked together on a similar organization that supported ten women weavers from Patacancha. When that project faltered, the two decided to form Awamaki to maintain their support.
The non-profit organization grew rapidly and today supports nine cooperatives consisting of 174 artisans and community members working in the craft and tourism fields. With collaboration at its core, Awamaki prides itself on sustainability and focuses on broadening its partners’ access to a wide range of markets and economic opportunities.
In addition to the financial changes, the climate crisis is rapidly changing the way of life of the Sacred Valley, which is facing disproportionate consequences because glaciers melt and the water supply is dwindling. “The shift to personal income for our artisan partners is not about replacing traditional livelihoods, but about broadening the economic base beneath them so they can raise their families to prosperity and build resilience to the impacts of climate change, all without leaving the community or traditional way of life,” the nonprofit said.
By working with Awamaki, the cooperative’s members can focus on traditional spinning, dyeing and weaving traditions, while the non-profit organization provides structural support in selling their goods and coordinating tourism. The Andean highlands, which stretch through the terrain north of Cusco, were once home to the Incas and still contain traces of the ancient empire, such as the historic city of Machu Picchu, which still attracts tourists. one million people every year from all over the world. For years, the organization says, visitors arrived in villages without notice and the women stopped work to meet tourists and hopefully sell a piece.
And of course, this method of making is demanding, because women not only weave, but also raise alpacas, shear their wool and spin and dye the soft fibers into yarn. “Before weaving, I have to wash my hands carefully so that the wool is not damaged. It requires attention and care,” says Ricardina, an Awamaki member of the Cusci Qoyllur cooperative. “Sometimes I can weave more, sometimes less. It depends on the time, on my children, on everything else I have to do.”
Today, Awamaki helps coordinate tourism and provide compensation for visits. This includes programs such as Murmur Ring’s immersion, which will bring a group of creatives to the region in June. “Our role is to create opportunities compatible with cultural continuity, if that is what communities themselves want,” they say, adding:
For women without personal income, everyday decisions can seem far away. Paying for school supplies, buying medicine, covering transportation costs, buying food to supplement the limited traditional crops that grow at high altitudes – all depend on uncertain financial flows and changing family dynamics. As climate patterns become more erratic, with harsher frosts, longer dry spells and thinning pasture, even the basic agricultural families on which they depend have become less predictable, exacerbating that sense of financial vulnerability.
This regular support has simultaneously helped many women achieve greater financial independence and maintain their way of life. “When new artisans join a cooperative, they are typically mentored by other women in their own communities. Cultural knowledge remains community-owned and community-led,” the nonprofit shares.
“In my family, we make decisions together – about how to make money and how to move forward,” says Daniela, a weaver from the Puskariy Tika cooperative. “This work allows us to continue and improve our lives little by little.”
Nadia from the Rumia cooperative echoes this sentiment. “Being part of Awamaki has changed things for us. Now we have a steady income, which allows us to keep weaving,” she says. “In our community it’s not always easy. Some people say, ‘Why do you weave?’ But they don’t understand this work… We also teach our children to take care of the environment, grow things and respect the land. That is also part of our job.”
To learn more about the women and support their work, visit Awamaki website.
