Get Involved
We have a number of ways for you to get involved with Threads of Peru. You can buy a weaving, become a Friend of TOP or just visit Peru and see it all first-hand.
“If what we've put together here inspires you, please take action and become a part of it.”
Peru is blessed with an indigenous culture that is still very much alive, and permeates the modern nation. Please take a look through the sections here, and feel free to contact us regarding these, or any other ideas you have that could compliment our goals.
Donate
If you are unable to support Threads of Peru through a textile purchase, visiting Peru as part of our tour, or volunteering you may consider helping out through a donation. Threads of Peru is in the process of getting charitable status, but unfortunately at this time we cannot issue tax receipts for donations. We apologize for any inconvenience.
$250 USD - Community Exchange
This donation enables a weaving association (approximately 15 women) to visit another community. These women live in extremely remote (3 hours walking from the nearest road) areas and rarely leave their villages. When they do, its to another nearby village to trade. Experience shows that by creating inspiration around weaving, the women's attitudes change dramatically towards many aspects of their lives. Due to the remote nature of the women's homes, and their roles as carers to large numbers of children, they can't leave home for more than one day. On their community exchanges, which take place perhaps every 6 months, they travel to another well known weaving community to see their work, how they are finished and also learn about their lives in the other community.
Read about a past Community Exchange
$100 USD - A one day capacitacion workshop for a whole weaving association. (approximately 20 remote indigenous women)
Threads of Peru already runs once monthly weaving improvement and refinement workshops in the communities, and some training in health, hygiene and nutrition. We are seeking to expand the offering to more "lifestyle" oriented workshops. Your donation pays for a expert trainer (someone who is educated in health, nutrition, or administration and speaks Quechua fluently) to travel to the communities and present a one day workshop with support materials.
$50.00 USD - Develop family gardens in greenhouses in high Altiplano communities.
Working in groups of five families, utilising communal greenhouses, your donation funds seeds, training, and tools for families to grow vegetables in greenhouses. This funding helps families to understand the importance of a varied (and more nutritional) diet where they mostly only eat potatoes and a small amount of meat. Your funding enables them to add a "green" and healthy element to their lifestyle.
$35.00 USD - Weaving Tools
Pay for weaving tools for a whole association- good quality scissors, needles, threads and bobbins. These women weave in basic conditions - they collect stakes from the fields, and drive them into the ground using rocks, and finish their weavings by chewing off loose threads. Simple tools like scissors can make all the difference in snipping the ends and just cleaning things up. Your contribution can improve their working conditions and also the quality of the weavings they produce.
$20.00 USD - A fruity snack for a whole weaving association.
These women live high in the Altiplano and their subsistence diet consists largely of potatoes with a small amount of meat and vegetables. Fruit is a rare, and for them, expensive luxury that they don't indulge in. Apples and oranges provide a wide range of vitamins otherwise lacking in their diet. Your donation means that each woman will receive an apple, orange and some bread. We believe in the concept of ayni, (today for you, tomorrow for me) so the women only receive the fruit if they attend the meeting.
