The Natural Dye Studio is really proud to announce that we are now supporting the Mirasol project.
We will be donating 10p for each skein of Alpaca sold, our supplier also donates 10p per skein which means every time you buy a skein of our Alpaca yarn 20p is donated to the project.
The Mirasol Project will do something to redress the balance between rich and poor nations. Peru is a nation of 29 million people with a high level of social inequality, with the poor rural Quechua-speaking communities high in the Andes being particularly disadvantaged. The situation is not helped by the fact that since 1980 Peru has experienced periods of political unrest which have particularly affected the already disadvantaged Quechua-speaking communities. A survey undertaken in 2002 rated Peru last of 41 nations in terms of educational provision and the people of the Puno region, where the ranch is situated, have one of the lowest levels of health and education in Peru. The illiteracy rate is 95 per cent. Families live just at subsistence level in mud huts that lack plumbing and electricity and have only an open fireplace for warmth. As a result of this survey, the Peruvian government has decided to prioritise the development of the rural areas of the sierra on the national agenda.
The project was started in 2006 by Norwegians Kari Hestnes and Per Svendsen, the photos on this page are theirs.
The Mirasol Project is named after a young Quechua girl who, with her brother, tends 350 alpacas. Its aim is to fight poverty and encourage community development. As well as providing accommodation, meals and health-care, the boarding-house will be a centre where the children can develop personal, occupational and communication skills and study techniques in specialised after-school workshops. The centre will foster the principles of peace, tolerance and equality with a respect for human rights and basic freedom. As well as an awareness of other cultures, the centre will also focus on the preservation of the language, culture and tradition of the children and their families. The architectural design of the boarding-house makes use of local materials and know-how. In its physical, social and educational aspects, value is placed upon local knowledge However, in addition to preserving local traditions, the centre has a creative and innovating function in preparing its children for a changing and challenging future.
The after-school facility will include dormitories for boys and girls, a dining room, sports area and classrooms where children can receive help with their regular school homework as well as participate in studies aimed at developing different skills and personal goals. Workshops will be developed appropriate to local career opportunities: trout farming, market gardening, the breeding and care of guinea pigs, traditional textile arts and languages.
Currently children have to walk long distances to and from school, sometimes ten miles a day, which results in them giving up school, preferring to work alongside their parents as shepherds. The boarding-house will be able to give the children much-needed educational support as well as focusing on the health of the children. The extensive poverty and social exclusion that still exist in this area do not permit an adequate level of nutrition. Malnutrition and chronic illnesses such as anaemia are a problem with the local children and so the pastoral care offered by the centre is very important, focusing on issues which might affect the development of each child in programmes such as ‘nutrition awareness’.
The Mirasol Centre January 2008
If you would like to support Mirasol to a greater extent why not join in our Toilet Dolly competition
