Guinea Pig Meat and Alpaca Hair
Print this Page- By Sergio Arispe
- Country: Ecuador
- Dates of Service: 2004–2006
This is the first time Quechua women have—in this particular region—have established legalized small companies, small business, in order to sell their arts and crafts.
Quechua women are usually timid. A lot of them don't speak Spanish; they just speak Quechua, and they stay in the community while their husbands go to the cities and work. While they're at home, they take care of the guinea pigs, which is an important animal to the Quechua society. It dates back to Pre-Incan civilization, especially in the Andes. It's a delicacy. It's high in protein. It's a small animal that the children and the women can manage. The women are managing the guinea pigs and sheep in their houses, washing clothes, taking their children to school, going to school meetings.
Through this entire process, what we're doing is we're placing hair fiber from the alpaca into their hands so they can transform it from being hair fiber to yarn. And while they're at these meetings, they can spin the hair fiber into yarn and they can knit. And so we have 30 women who are knitting now with the alpaca hair fiber. And two men who are watching the animals. And so what's so amazing about this one particular project, this program that we have going, is it's increasing their self-esteem.
One of the benefits of being a Peace Corps Volunteer is to learn from another culture, is to live in another society, and see that society through their eyes. And one of the lessons that I've learned through the individuals in my community, is the need for opportunities to develop.
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