Into Thin Air: Connecting with the Quechua in Peru

A light rain drizzles as our van heads to Ollantaytambo, tucked into the valley of the Andes. We drive through the busy town—it’s market day, so farmers and shoppers bustle through the streets. On the hill above, an ancient Inca fortress welcomes tourists climbing a multitude of steps to the archaeological site. Instead of the towering stone structure, our destination is higher up the mountain to visit a cooperative of women who weave with Awamaki. 

Similar to Ibu, Awamaki links women’s cooperatives to markets and supports their growth out of poverty. Their tourism coordinator, Gabi, greets us in town and gives a quick tour of their headquarters. Soon, we’re back in the van, climbing the narrow mountain road to Huilloc Alto, a small community at 13,000 feet. 

Driving past modest homes and terraced farms nestled into the side of the mountains, the sun beams as we reach our destination, where a welcoming party of Quechua women awaits us. As we pass under an archway of local flora, they offer hugs and bestow necklaces of red trumpet blossoms strung onto yarn. Each traveler is paired with an artisan, who teaches us the pinching and pulling technique to spin wool into yarn. Quechua girls learn this skill at age 8, so when the fibers inevitably break in our novice attempts, they deftly repair the rift and encourage us with smiles and nods to continue.

In the meantime, a local meal of potatoes, chicken, fava beans, and plantains roasts in the ground nearby, sizzling against the hot stones heated in a fire that morning. The Pachamanca is a celebratory meal, reserved for special occasions, and we are honored to be invited to partake. As the meal cooks, Gabi translates the artisans’ explanation of the dyeing process, indicating each natural source—from cochineal beetles to moss to orange bark—used to create a rainbow of colors for their brilliant designs. 

We walk out into the yard between the structures where several weavers have set up their backstrap looms. They sit on the ground and lean into the strap around their waist, tightening or releasing the tension slightly as they carefully count threads to build patterns, pixel by pixel, out of contrasting wool. Gabi shares that girls begin to weave on the backstrap loom around age 14, which explains these women’s dexterity and skill.

Gathering around the table, suddenly famished when platters of roast chicken and steaming potatoes are placed in front of us, we savor the Pachamanca feast. Soon it is time to leave—we have a train to catch in Ollantaytambo—but our new friends have laid out blankets piled with their beautiful designs and we can’t resist the opportunity to take a few items home to remember this special day.  

As we descend the mountain, I reflect on the thread entwining my life with these women. Ibu has partnered with Awamaki for a decade, adding to marketplace opportunities and providing grant funding to build a community weaving center like the one we just visited (read more about that project below). I now see that impact firsthand and understand more clearly the power these women possess to change their communities while preserving their culture and heritage. This is the joy of Ibu’s Fringe Road—finding connection and community among women around the globe. 

Añaychaykuyki,
Lasley Steever
Chief Marketing Officer

The Awac Phuna weaving cooperative in Patacancha, a partner of Awamaki in weaving and tourism, received funding from Ibu to establish a weaving center. This center now serves as a space for material storage, workshops, and hosting visitors, contributing to the cooperative's growth from 25 to 31 women. Providing a comfortable workspace outside their homes, the center has improved the artisans' organization, communication, and the quality of their work. Ibu also supported five workshops at Awac Phuna. Mercedes, Awamaki’s head of artisan cooperatives, notes increased engagement in workshops due to the dedicated space. Since opening, the center has significantly expanded Awac Phuna’s market by enabling them to host craft lessons and teach weaving to tourists. This has allowed artisans to earn nearly $5,000 from tourism in addition to income from selling their woven goods.

We are excited about our new weaving center and the effect it will have on our work, our lives, and the future of our community. We’re very happy to have tourism income and more opportunities to make more money, which lets us take better care of our families, buy better and more nutritious food, have better houses and better schools. 
~Virginia Huaman, former president and current partner of the Puskariy Tika Cooperative