I‘ve been meeting with the community about once a week for the handicraft project, alternating with workshops developed in many cases through the initiative and suggestions of the group of artisans. We believe that as we move forward in reaching our goal of commercializing the products, we’ll attract more and more people to the group, which is currently made up of 15 artisans.
We have been improving the designs of the handicrafts through both the workshops and the increased use of the piazaba fibers in constructing the products. In the workshops, we focus on the different stages of production: fitting of the fibers, craftsmanship, weaving/stitching, and the final touch to each piece. The artisan group has been acquiring necessary production materials such as scissors, knives, files, polish, and buckets.
The products initially proposed by the artisans were made almost exclusively of the “Tamshi” and “Yurakhuasca” fibers, with some small application of piazaba fiber for decoration. Inspired by the authorization of the management plan, we are making products with larger quantities of the piazaba fiber because it is such an attractive addition to the handicrafts. The resulting products look very elegant and different from those that we normally find in the local market, which could make them very competitive here and abroad. Photos below show the initial products made by the community.
Over the past 6 months the weaving/stitching, the designs, the symmetry of the product, among other things, have improved. The artisan group is almost ready to present its products to the market. Our goal this month is to send a sample to the USA to evaluate the commercial possibilities. Photos below show the improvement in the products over the past 6 months.
