This photo is of Carmen knitting while her baby plays in a plastic wash tub! The freedom to work from home is important to our artisans as they are all mothers who desire to be with their children and families. They can earn a steady income by knitting Mayu’s one-of-a-kind alpaca products. Mayu not only supports artisans financially, but also supports this lifestyle and family culture.

Our artisans have many children although some of them are widowed, married and separated from their spouses. The extra income they make from Mayu helps them support their children in a variety of ways including school fees, new clothing and more nutritious food.

Please take note of the project Carmen is working on…the folds of fabric make me think that it could be a shawl or a fringed halfie. Too bad I don’t remember what she was working on at the time!

For more information on our artisans, check out the “Why Mayu?” video!