In the last three months of 2011,  the Allima Waska artisans were working to significantly improve the quality of their finished products and were testing out new designs. In December, they wove about 54 baskets, to be used for trips to the market, bread and paper. 80% of them have already been sold. Now that the products have reached a high, consistent quality, the goal for 2012 is to get the products more easily to markets and shops.

Over the next 2 months, RP volunteer Valentine Rivet will be in Peru helping with the business plan for artisan products and helping develop ideas on how to access the market in Lima. We will keep you updated on her time there and the work she is doing!

The artisan studio is getting closer to completion and the community plans to finish and have an inauguration of the new building before the end of the year.  Currently Lucia is working with the artisan group to discuss how to administer the portion of the artisan studio that will be used as a hostel.  Also, the artisan group, Allima Waska, partcipated in their first bioferia (sustainable products market) through RAE Perú (Ecological Agriculture Network of Peru) in Lima in September.  All of the baskets from the group were sold at the fair and details focusing on basket quality were given as feedback to the group.  The representative of the bioferia has offered to work with the community to get their products into biotiendas (sustainable product stores) in Lima. We are now working through what the partnership with RAE would look like: transport costs, shipping costs, proof of payment, etc. Allima Waska is also working with Lucia to develop next year’s work plan, including:  becoming a legal entity, setting up workshops for children, implementing permaculture systems such as building a compostable toilet at the artisan studio site and collecting rainwater.