Original article: Planeterra.org Stories from the Field, Special report from Erin Burke

Erin Burke, IMBA Candidate, Schulich School of Business, York University

I came to Cusco at the end of May as an intern for Planeterra, the foundation established by what is now one of world’s largest adventure travel companies – Gap Adventures. I knew little to nothing about Gap Adventures or Planeterra until the first year of my International MBA at the Schulich School of Business in Toronto, Canada.

Originally from Seattle, Washington, I met a fellow northwesterner, the Director of Planeterra, at a networking event. Always curious about how business principles can be applied to help communities increase their standard of living, I accepted an offer to intern with the organization.

Since Planeterra started helping the women of Ccaccaccollo in 2006 through a number of small, but important initiatives, the group has seen a general improvement. More families are able to send their children to high school in neighboring towns or to Cusco.

However, with the global recession, there have been fewer visitors lately to Ccaccaccollo in the Sacred Valley area, buying fewer or small products. The beautiful hand woven blankets that tell stories with Incan images of condors, pumas, and sheep are not selling as well as they used to.

Ccaccaccollo women’s cooperative

After two months of living in Cusco, a city whose economy is almost solely dependent upon tourism, I have struggled to reconcile the positives and negatives of this industry. Peru is an incredibly diverse country, rich in history and culture, but one of the poorest of South America.

During my off days I sometimes think tourism is a necessary evil for the economic development of the country. Passing through the inspiring Plaza de Armas, I am usually bombarded with children selling paintings, wool hats, and chicle at all hours. I wonder what they think of us, the “gringos” or “extranjeros,” who visit their city for a short fun filled vacation, taking advantage of Cusco’s famous nightlife and refusing to pay full price for anything.

Planeterra aims to provide passengers, when visiting Ccaccaccollo, a chance to see first hand how people during Inca times and today make clothing using only natural materials found in their community. Yet with globalization and the increase in tourism over the years, competition for woven products has increased in Cusco.

It is impossible for the women of Ccaccaccollo to offer their products at the same price as those that are machine manufactured. Planeterra works to maintain a delicate balance of community economic development – enabling the women to improve their economic situation, while at the same time preserving their culture.

In an effort to offer a greater variety of high quality products, the women of Ccaccaccollo have approached us about their interest in buying looms they received on loan from a neighboring co-op. Planeterra was initially wary about the idea; fearful the women would forget the traditional Incan weaving methods. However, after listening to their reasoning – they will be able to finish more blankets, scarves, etc. faster and of better quality, putting less stress on their back, we agreed that this would be the most beneficial to them.

New loom for Ccaccaccollo women

Arriving Ccaccaccollo two weeks later, I notice a number of women formed in small groups and as they chat, a lady from Puno checks their work. In a short amount of time they have learned how to control five needles with ease, making socks, mittens, etc. of the same quality or better as those found in the Plaza Armas imported from China. Entering the community building Planeterra helped construct, another group is working on the looms. One woman is finishing a beautiful thick blue and red scarf.

Maybe not every passenger that visits Ccaccaccollo understands the time and effort that goes into making the blankets displayed daily under the palm thatched stands, but as the women learn different techniques they are able to offer a unique variety of products, ultimately translating into increased sales, greater revenues and better opportunities for their children.

Planeterra intern Erin Burke

“…The head of the boy asleep next to me falls on my shoulder as we wind down the mountain towards Cusco. He wakes up when the “cobrador” gently nudges for the 50 centavos to cover the trip from his hometown of Pisac to Cusco. In traditional dress, used for festivals, I ask the boy if he is performing in the Plaza tonight. It’s almost Inti Raymi or the Sun Festival, one of the most important and oldest festivals in Cusco. During the days leading up to the event, schools compete, each performing the dances from their town in the Plaza de Armas. Rubbing his eyes, he responds yes, proudly adding that his team won a number of the competitions already. I wonder if this is why people fall in love with Cusco. Although I feel like a tourist or gringa at times, there are some places where you can have such a unique experience, truly representative of the local culture.”

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Photos by Erin Burke