Spinning rainforest incomes

I decided to set up an artisans group as part of the Ayompari cooperative. This is the co-op that grows cacao and coffee in my community. Eight women have signed up so far, all with different skills.

We’ll make a range of products including bags, cushmas, necklaces and baskets. We will use traditional methods to make new products, like pyjamas made from cushma material woven by us.

We decided to call the group ‘Jeto’ because Jeto is the Asháninka word for spider, and spiders are good weavers, like us. We hope to sell products to river traders to increase our incomes. Eventually, we would like to sell in towns and in Lima, like our sisters in the Awajún.

Sharing the idea

Micaela and some of the other Jeto group members will visit the Awajún to see the AMARNO artisans, an established group who are selling their jewellery on the Cool Earth website. They will share their creative skills, but also information on reaching new markets and setting up savings schemes.