- Artisan Profiles-
Manos Amigas, which means "Hands Joined In Friendship," works with families, small business groups, and associations that make a variety of handicrafts in impoverished areas of Lima and in the Andean highlands.
Read our expanded profiles from Peru:
- how a Peruvian artisan group makes popular Global Gifts jewelry
- how an idea becomes a Global Gifts exclusive
Manos Amigas is a fair trade organization dedication to the export of handicrafts and to alternative tourism. Manos Amigas offers training workshops for their artisans. They also participate in international trade fairs, thus gaining new markets.
- Manos Amigas was founded in 1991.
- Manos Amigas works with seven associations, three cooperatives and a variety of family workshops. Numbers of artisans fluctuate between 290 and 970, depending upon orders.
- Benefits to artisans include training and consultancy services.
- Manos Amigas continues to donate 20% of their annual surplus to the community outreach program it was founded to support, feeding some 400 children each Sunday and helping pay for school uniforms and supplies.
- Manos Amigas was able to help 165 families affected by the earthquake in Pisco in August of 2007.
- Global Gifts currently carries painted wood houseware and furniture, retablos, nativities, ornaments, burnt gourd items, jewelry, musical instruments, puppets, ceramic items, miniature animals, purses and wind chimes from Manos Amigas.
More artisan profiles
Global Gifts executive director, Sam Carpenter, is publishing a blog about his year-long sabbatical in Peru, titled Thoughtful Transactions. He is working with artisan group Manos Amigas and Peruvian artisans such as Fermín Vilcapoma Bohórquez (and learning Spanish along the way).
Handmade Turquoise Jewelry from Manos Amigas in Peru.
Necklace $130, Earrings $54
