The group leader, Maria, is a retired school teacher and her husband is an engineer. Because they have extra space in their home, they have opened it up and it has become the meeting place of the artisans. Ever Monday night at 7pm (or maybe more like 8, Peruvian time!) the women get together to discuss business and hand out and turn in projects. When they are done, they usually stay until very late, socializing and sharing stories. Pictured at right is Diana in the small workspace.
The room is a little bit disorganized, huh?
When I lived in Peru, I would bake yummy cookies, banana and carrot bread to entice the ladies to show up to our meetings that were held in this very room. They usually brought their children with them to the meetings. They’d play outside and occasionally help their mothers with their tasks!
This is Mirtha carrying her son. As you can see she is using a traditional baby wrap to carry him in. Our artisans knit with their children playing on the floor while they work. The whole purpose of Mayu is to support these ladies in earning an income while allowing them to remain with their children. What is important to the artisans is important to Mayu.
