This morning as we were getting ready to catch the bus to Otavalo, our host's mother, Zoila, asked if we wanted a ride. We said yes and piled with alacrity into the car which Carlos was driving. We met another guest of the family, this time from Lithuania rather than France. Her name is Vilia and she looks to be very young--twenties or thirties at most.
From Otavalo, we climbed into a full bus headed for Cotacachi, where Cristhian Guaján, a leather maker, works. The trip took 45 minutes, although it is only 8 miles, and we arrived early because we wanted to explore the town. About 9,000 people call this lovely little town home. It's clean, pretty, higher than many of the other towns, "tranquilo" (Cristhian's description) and very appealing. Everyone was very friendly and helpful in getting us to the center of town where there is a big church in the central plaza. We called Cristhian to say that we were there, and he met us on the church steps and walked us to his home and workshop. He and his wife and sister were in that day, all of them work in the shop.
They were very welcoming and very patient as they showed us around and answered many, many questions from us. When we asked if they had questions for us, Cristhian wanted to know why we were here, doing these interviews, volunteering our time to find out more about their lives. When I explained we wanted to help them better their lives, he was very impressed. He said, "That is unique. Many people buy things but don't know anything about the sacrifices made to do the work. It is unique that you want to listen to us."
Cristhian is 29 and Johanna is 30. They've only been working for five years, three of them for Minga Fair Trade. He met Chris Keefe in the market here in 2012. Already, they have three helpers in this busy workshop, with more available when the orders are large. We were astonished at how many pieces go into a wallet (their best selling product)! He pulled out the template for one wallet and there were nearly a dozen pieces to it, not including the lining. He cut the pieces with an X-acto knife, then showed us how they were sewn together and stitched at the edges to prevent fraying.
March is a busy month--right now they have so many orders they work day and night--sometimes all night and drawing in their mothers and aunts as well. Cotacachi is a big center of leather production, and nearly every shop has leather goods. We wonder how all this works, but Cristhian says people know to come to Cotacachi for leather, so there's work for all. An interesting fact, given our northern desire to limit competition as much as possible.
Cristhian and Johanna have two little booths in the Parque San Francisco. When we arrived, we found Johanna's sister and aunt there watching things for them. It's a sweet little market under the flowering trees, with birdsong and not much traffic noise. The sun filters through the trees, the volcano makes frequent brief appearances above the clouds, and it's just about a perfect place in our opinion. Someone said to us that people from Otavalo find it so tranquil that they compare a stay here to a stint in jail. But for us, this is great.
We see that the market is open from 7 a.m. till night, and Johanna puts all her stock in a big cart and pulls it to the market. She packs it the night before, unpacks it to be ready by 8 a.m., sells all day until nearly 10 p.m., packs up what's left and pulls it home in the cart. We are reminded of our own work in the U.S., except that her hours are much longer than ours. We asks if she has a day off, and she says no, the market is open 365 days a year. Wow! They have two small boys, 8 and 6. Cristhian says the sales at the booth are not much--just enough for daily bread. The export sales cover their other needs. He hopes that someday, his work will be known all over the world, not only for his sake but for that of the young men working for him.
We take family photos before leaving and promise to send them. They give us their e-mail and invite us to visit them any time. As we catch the bus back to Otavalo, we are suffused with good feeling and a sense of wonder. Here, thousands of miles away are our younger brothers and sisters. We're so happy we came.
Tonight, I received a huge gift from my Feminine Power Mastery teachers--learning how to love myself, as it so happens, I am much better able to love others. Thank God for the possibility of growth, no matter what my age.
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