My morning begins at 10:00 AM when I am picked up by the Belgian development project driver and a Belgian volunteer who is going to translate for me. Our first stop is a business called Sumaq Qara, which started out as an 'associacion' ~ these so-called associations seem to be the standard way of collaboration ~ of women who benefited from CTB investment in technology and capacity building during phase 1 of the project. They were trained in how to make and sell quality product, go to trade shows and transfer knowledge.
These days Sumaq Qara is an organisation run by three sisters, employing some 400 women in different parts of the Ayacucha province which in the 1980s was ravaged by guerrilla warfare led by Shining Path, gross human rights violations and a reign of violent brutality. After the capture of the terrorist leader in 1992, the group largely disbanded, but (according to Sumaq's website) the devastation to the Peruvian countryside and rural populations will take many years to recover from. Today, many people are still displaced and wary of violence, which has significantly curtailed the pace of economic development in the region.
Sumaq Qara supports women by finding markets for products. It plays a vital role in the lives of women by training artisans to produce quality handcrafts, offering a foothold in the global marketplace, and helping to create greater income-generating opportunities for local women. In the process of competing for global market share, Peruvian women come together to discuss common problems and solutions, learn from one another, and celebrate milestones within the group.
Sumaq Qara provides its workers with the raw materials in turn for which the women get paid for piece work. The group leader brings the finished products to Ayacucha where they are finalised and prepared for shipping. About 80% of the products ~ intricately embroidered handmade bags, belts, cushion covers, jewelry and more ~ are exported to Europe, Canada and Australia. Export is facilitated by Prom Peru (think Austrade) through participation in trade shows. Participation also allows them to keep up with market trends and reverse engineer designs in demand.
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| Yuu - Commercial Manager |
Sumaq Qara has a website and commercial manager Yuu ~ who learnt to use technology in college ~ uses email to communicate with clients. When potential clients approach Sumaq Qara via the web, she gets Prom Peru to do a 'due diligence' check before she enters into trade.
Yuu says life has changed dramatically for the women who work with Sumaq Qara. Earning their own money contributes to family income, builds confidence and makes the women less dependent on their husband, all of which contributes to reducing violence. A large percentage of the women workers are abandoned single mothers for which income is crucial to feed their children and send them to school. The biggest issue for Sumaq Qara, says Yuu, is the huge responsibility to keep the women in work. I requires belief in self and perseverence.
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| Alejandrina |
The association is not in a position to directly compete in the marketplace and sells its goods via intermediaries including Sumaq Qara. They do not always receive fair market price for their product but have little recourse. After covering overhead, there is little left for expansion, training and knowledge transfer and the organisation would need Alejandrina is not computer literate and depends on her daughter to communicate online. Not that she really needs online technology as she mostly interacts face to face with local women and local intermediaries either face to face or via mobile phone. One of the ongoing issues for the association is continuity of work which ~ while not related to climate change ~ is reminiscent of the situation in Bangladesh. The association would need financial assistance to increase its output and diversify to keep up with market trends. Yet despite these issues, Alejandrina has great hopes for the future. She wants to start selling direct to market and look more 'professional' by building a showroom for clients, despite the fact that the outdoor setting has its charm. It takes courage and persistence, but Alejandrina says she is destined to help the women of the region and the struggle makes her stronger.
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| Quality Control |
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I return to the hotel for lunch and ponder the fate of these women and their organisations. Clearly the support from organisations such as the Belgian Development Agency helped to get these organisations on their feet. But I am told that phase 2 (2008-2012) of the CTB project ~ stretching across all 11 Ayacucho districts ~ no longer has an entrepreneurship component, so struggling organisations are either left to their own devices or need to secure support elsewhere (another example of 'dead aid'?). Clearly it also helps to have direct access to market, have ICT knowledge, and the entrepreneurial savvy to compete for market share. There seems little collaboration between associations which adds the pressure of competition to the already heavy responsibility to keep Ayacucho's rural women in work, on top of which one can only wonder how long before the market is saturated?
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