All Smiles

All Smiles, originally uploaded by jtobiason08.

Kids from our Kids for La Oroya group (called CAMBIALO) smile. They are participating in projects in La Oroya, but also have skype dates with kids from New York and other places in the US. For more information on the project check out kidsforlaoroya.blogspot.com

El Mecurio

El Mecurio, originally uploaded by jtobiason08.

This Saturday (May 8th) is World Fair Trade Day. Please check out this link to the Eco-Journey Blog by my friend Katie Holmes of the PC(USA) on the need for Fair Trade. This picture is of the women of El Mecurio, an artisan group based out of Huancavelica, Perú. You can read a little bit about their lives in the last edition of the Red Uniendo Manos´ Newsletter, La Retama (English, Español) or buy some of their stuffed animals at Partners for Just Trade. So this saturday, please take a second to sit down and think about whether your trade is fair and how to make it even mroe so.

Barefoot

Barefoot, originally uploaded by jtobiason08.

On May 2nd, CENCA held an Earth Day Fair (Earth Day was a week earlier, but the date didn`t work so well with schedules). At this fair, there were various contests from the best meal (cooked by local women), sketches about the need for community activism, bands, artisan work, and dances done by local schools. This was one of the dances. I believe it origonated from the Ayacucho region. It was truly beautiful.

Tejiendo

Tejiendo, originally uploaded by jtobiason08.

A woman knits leg warmers in the village of Huanayay near Huancavelica, Peru. She is a member of the Huanayay artisan group who partners with the Bridge of Hope Fair Trade Program and I took this picture during a visit in Feb. 2010.

Telando

Telando, originally uploaded by jtobiason08.

A boy from the village of Huayanay works on a blanket on a loom. These looms were built by the community and are used to produce blankets, shalls, scarfs and other the like out of sheep and alpaca wool. They can be purchased from the Bridge of Hope program (http://fairtradeperu.com/). They are some of the softest blankets and scarfs that I have ever felt.

Dresses

Dresses, originally uploaded by jtobiason08.

The classic andean woman wears 3-7 layers of dresses. During my travels, I have seen so many women dressed like this, but had never seen them for sale. So when we were in Ayacucho for Good Friday, I walked into the market and found these hanging and couldn't not take a picture. It is another of my film shots taken on Kodak 100 film.