Daría, an artisan in her 40s originally from the highlands of Peru, has been hand-looming her unique textiles for over 17 years. Through the Huaywasi Artisan Project, she is able to provide income for herself and her two daughters while working from home.
Her eldest daughter, Wendy, currently helps Huaywasi with hand-stitched embroidery, passing down artisan skills generation to generation.
"Me gusta [ser artesana] mucho porque puedo trabajar en casa...y también mis hijas siempre me ayudan con lo que haga. Ademas, el trabajo que hago agrada a la gente que lo compra; estoy muy agradecido a todas esas personas porque puedo seguir haciendo lo que me gusta."
I like [being an artisan] a lot because I can work at home... and also my daughters always help me with what I do. In addition, the work I do pleases the people who buy it; I am very grateful to all those people because I can continue doing what I like.
Nélida, our expert knitter, has had a long history with the craft:
"Aprendí a tejer desde niña me gustaba inventar ropas de muñeca con palitos de espinos. Cuando tenía 12 año, mi abuela me enseñaba a hilar correas, hilar lana de oveja, tejidos como gorros, y otros. Tenía 5 hermanos menor y tenía que ayudar a mi mama. Yo hacía mis trabajo como artesanía para ganar alimento como maíz, etc. [Ahora uso mis talentos]... para ayudar a criar a mis hijos y pagar los gastos de la casa."
I learned to weave when I was a child and I liked to invent doll clothes with sticks. When I was 12 years old my grandmother taught me how to spin belts, wool from sheep, knit hats, and others. I had 5 younger siblings and had to help my mother. I did my work as a craft to earn food like corn, etc. [Now I use my talents]... to help raise my children and pay for household expenses.
In her free time, she enjoys taking a few moments to herself to practice yoga in her home, which she learned by attending yoga workshops with The Light and Leadership Initiative.
Through the Huaywasi Artisan Project, she has learned new knitting skills and enjoys teaching them to her children.
Saida, an artisan that joined the Huaywasi Artisan Project in 2014, is the project's ceramicist. Forming a great relationship with a previous Women's Program Manager, Carina, Saida discovered and built her skills through both LLI painting and ceramic workshops.
Some of her favorite LLI workshops included Financial Education, Painting, and Nutrition. She is proud to help support her children and her husband thanks to Huaywasi.
"Yo empecé [creando cerámicas y adornos] cuando estuvo la señorita Carina gracias a ella y todo los voluntarios tengo este trabajo que me ayuda económicamente en mi hogar...Me siento muy orgulloso del trabajo que hago y que mis productos es vendido en otros países"
I started [creating ceramics and ornaments] when Miss Carina was there. Thanks to her and all the volunteers I have this job that helps me financially in my home. I feel very proud of the work I do and that my products are sold in other countries.
Guillermina, an artisan seamstress, joined the project in 2014.
"Aprendí a coser hace 14 anos. Yo me siento bien trabajando en Huaywasi porque he aprendido hacer cosas nuevas y me siento agradecida porque es una ayuda muy grande para mí y mis hijos."
I learned to sew 14 years ago. I feel good working in Huaywasi because I have learned to do new things and I feel grateful because it is a great help for me and my children.
Through her work with Huaywasi, she has developed her skills as a seamstress to make fashionable clothing using Andean fabrics.
When she has the time, Guillermina likes to make a big Ceviche lunch for her and her family to enjoy.
She uses the income she receives from the Huaywasi Artisan Project to support her two children and her nephew.
Through the Huaywasi Artisan Project, Herminia, an artisan in her 40s, has learned to craft a variety of accessories using authentic Peruvian fabrics. Later, she discovered screen printing, which she utilized to broaden her skillset and product offerings.
She also has a long standing relationship with managers and volunteers from our parent organization, LLI.
"Soy un profesional técnico pero me fui para dedicarme a mis hijas. Afortunadamente encontré esta ONG [LLI] que me dio la oportunidad de ser parte de ella cuando asistí a sus talleres, los cuales fueron muy beneficiosos para mí.
Fueron las voluntarias Adriana, Carina y Jessy quienes me ayudaron a aprender sobre los talleres a los que siempre estaré agradecida. Aprendí sobre los accesorios con Carina y más tarde Joe, Susano y Shelby me ayudaron a entrar en la serigrafía."
I am a technical professional but I left to educate my daughters. Thankfully I found this NGO [LLI] which gave me the opportunity to be part of it when I attended their workshops, which were very beneficial to me.
It was volunteers Adriana, Carina, and Jessy who helped me learn about the workshops to which I will always be grateful. I learned about accessories with Carina and later Joe, Susano and Shelby helped me get into silk-screen printing.
What she loves most about being part of Huaywasi is working from her own home, where she is able to comfortably care for her two daughters and contribute her earnings to her family.
Alejandra, an artisan in her 50s, first learned to knit in high school. When she isn't busy knitting, Alejandra also likes to cook. Her favorite Peruvian food to cook is Pachamanca - a traditional Andean dish that uses layers of root vegetables, meat, and potatoes, slow-cooked in the earth with hot stones - yum!
Through the Huaywasi Artisan Project, she has learned new knitting techniques to help supplement the income from the local flower shop that she and her husband own.
Elena, originally from the Amazonian region Iquitos, has lived in Huaycán for over 25 years.
"Aprendí a coser viendo a mi abuela desde muy chica. Después de muchos años que deje de estudiar [costura] tuve la oportunidad de entrar a trabajar con Huaywasi y es así que aprendí más y sigo aprendiendo de cada voluntario que viene--por eso que hoy en día me siento muy feliz de pertenecer a Huaywasi."
I learned to sew seeing my grandmother from a very young age. After many years I stopped studying [sewing] I had the opportunity to work with Huaywasi and so I learned more and I continue to learn from every volunteer who comes--that is why today I feel very happy to belong to Huaywasi.
In her free time, Elena loves to cook, particularly baking pastries! She sees the Women's Program workshops as a time for learning and relaxation, and especially enjoys psychology and nutrition workshops. Elena says that Huaywasi helps her to grow not only as an artisan but also as a person.
Thank you for supporting Huaywasi and its mission. All products will ship within 5 business days, often less! If you need your product in less turn-around time, please contact Huaywasi@lightandleadership.org immediately after placing your order and we'll see what we can do!
Taxes: Illinois residents will be charged sales tax.
Shipping: Shipping is calculated based on United States Postal Service real-time carrier rates--ensuring you get the best available shipping rate from USPS. You may choose the shipping option that suits you best. At this time, we do not ship via other carriers.
A note on shipping: As of March 10th, 2020 we will provide free US shipping for orders $60 or more! Thank you for being understanding of our shipping changes as international shipping costs have risen over the past couple of years.
International Buyers – Please Note:
Import duties, taxes, and charges are not included in the item price or shipping cost. These charges are the buyer's responsibility.
Please check with your country's customs office to determine what these additional costs will be prior to purchasing.
Returns and Exchanges:
FOR ALL PRODUCTS:
Please download this form and review our policy below.
Returns:
Our policy lasts 30 days. If 30 days have gone by since your purchase, unfortunately we can’t offer you a refund or exchange.
To be eligible for a return, your item must be unused and in the same condition that you received it. It must also be in the original packaging.
There are certain situations where only partial refunds are granted: Any item not in its original condition, is damaged or missing parts for reasons not due to our error.
Refunds:
Once your return is received and inspected, we will send you an email to notify you that we have received your returned item. We will also notify you of the approval or rejection of your refund. If you are approved, then your refund will be processed, and a credit will automatically be applied to your credit card or original method of payment, within a certain amount of days.
Late or missing refunds:
If you haven’t received a refund yet, first check your bank account again. Then contact your credit card company, it may take some time before your refund is officially posted. Next contact your bank. There is often some processing time before a refund is posted. If you’ve done all of this and you still have not received your refund yet, please contact us at huaywasi@lightandleadership.org.
Sale items :
Only regular priced items may be refunded, unfortunately sale items cannot be refunded.
Exchanges :
We offer exchanges on all items within 30 days of purchase for unused and unworn products. If you need to exchange an item, please download this form. It must be included in your exchange.
Shipping:
To return your product, you should mail your product to:
Huaywasi: Handmade in Peru
6819 W. 167th Street, Tinley Park, IL 60477
The customer is be responsible for paying for the return shipping costs for the item. Shipping costs are non-refundable. If you receive a refund, the cost of return shipping will be deducted from your refund.
Depending on where you live, the time it may take for your exchanged product to reach you, may vary.
If you are shipping an item over $75, you should consider using a trackable shipping service or purchasing shipping insurance. We don’t guarantee that we will receive your returned item.
Our mission is to educate and empower. Learn more how Huaywasi accomplishes that through the breakdown of our formula:
Seven Women
Huaywasi formed as a collective effort between several women from Huaycán, Peru and international volunteers working with The Light and Leadership Initiative (LLI), our education based parent nonprofit.
The Women's Empowerment Program at the time was running certain workshops related to crafts and knitting in Huaycán when several participants approached the staff and stated many of them already had certain skills, but they desired a larger market to be able to sell more of their products. To learn more about the founding of our non-profit and brand, check out our blog:
After several years of developing artisan skills and products, seven women are now the face of Huaywasi. Huaywasi women are strong, talented and passionate. They know their craft. Get to know them through The Artisans page.
Fair Wages
Artisans are trained to keep careful track of their hours plus the cost of materials. Each artisan is paid a fair hourly wage for their products, enabling artisans to provide for themselves and often times, their children and extended families.
We believe that part of being a fair trade project means that regardless of whether a product is put into production, an artisan should be paid for any amount of time dedicated to Huaywasi. This includes samples and unfinished products due to unforeseen complications on any side, whether it be operation & design teams or artisans.
Products are ordered on a monthly basis, also providing greater financial stability and allowing Huaywasi artisans to plan their financial futures.
To learn more about how we abide by fair trade principles, check out our blog, The Huaywasi Difference
Education
Huaywasi works as a component of the Women's Empowerment Program within LLI. Through LLI, educational workshops have been offered in the areas of Career Development, Health, and Art and Expression.
Our current workshop focus is a financial certificate program in which LLI invites women over the age of 18 to participate, free of cost, every Saturday and Sunday.
Over the years, artisans have been involved in numerous workshops, including yoga, painting, financial education, nutrition, & self-esteem.
Many have completed our current 3 month entrepreneurship program (Mujeres Emprendedoras) and are eager for the program to expand as they build their skills as small business owners. The program in 2018 helped 40% of their participants actually start small businesses, with many more already in business or in planning stages.
The purchase of each Huaywasi product directly supports not only Huaywasi artisans' financial future, but also encourages personal and professional growth by providing educational opportunities for women in Huaycán.
So there you have it...
seven women + fair wages + education = Huaywasi.
Huaywasi's Commitment to Diversity
Huaywasi recognizes the beauty and value of individuals regardless of size, racial background, or socio-economic status. When you purchase Huaywasi products, you are not only supporting female artisans in Huaycán, but also helping to break down conventional ideas of beauty and promote authenticity and diversity in fashion.
