Hope Jewellery is our longest running partnership. We have been working with them since 2006, when Laura came across the group whilst volunteering for another Fair Trade jewellery project in Lima, Peru.

 

Though several of the ladies had basic skills in traditional crochet techniques, they were struggling to find a viable market for their products, with the main problems being design and quality control.

 

In Peru there is a lack of part time, fairly paid work, especially for women living in the sprawling shanty towns of Lima. The options are either working as a housekeeper in the wealthy part of town or in a textile factory; both of which involve lengthy travel, long hours and leaving their children unattended or in the care of the wider family. Over the last thirteen years, Just Trade have worked hand in hand with Hope Jewellery to provide part time, fairly paid work that the women can do from home, or close to home. This has made a significant difference to their household incomes, meaning the women have been able to improve their homes, pay for medical treatment and educate their children, as well as spend more time with their families.

 

Just Trade has provided extensive training in technique and design, which has given the artisans the confidence to design and make their own products. We have also worked on capacity building and have developed dozens of commercially successful ranges for our international customers. The artisans in Peru now specialise in making beautifully crocheted silver jewellery, crocheted cotton brooches, and contemporary brass jewellery.

 

The project is now based in four areas of Peru, two in the shanty towns in Lima (La Tablada and California) and two provincial cities (Ayacucho and Cajamarca). We are now providing regular work for more than thirty women.