SHIPIBO PEOPLES - Matriarchal & Artists Fair Trade Support

FULL BACKSTORY OF CHAIN OF EVENTS

Over a three-year period, the Inti Raymi Fund visited the San Francisco Community on three occasions, once with Chimu’s entire family.  We got to know a number of local residents and artists prior to funding this project. As part of the process, we deliver a public presentation introducing ourselves, talk about what we do, and give the people a chance to decide if they need our financial assistance.  There is usually a discussion as to what could be done to help the community.  It varies from place to place, but all are invited to attend and encouraged to participate. The process usually takes time, as we have to give people a chance to absorb the information and communally figure out what they need most.  In this village, roughly 200 of the 800 residents attended our presentation which was a moderate turnout.  Upon our return three days later to hear how the residents would want to use the $25,000 grant towards a community self-help project, no one showed up, except the leader of the village.

This was highly suspicious so we elected to follow our instincts, and take the author of Dressmaker of Khair Khana, Gayle Tzemach Lemmon’s advice, “you can’t go wrong, voting with the women of a village”. This is exactly what we did. We announced on the emergency loud speaker of the village, “for the first 250 grandmothers, mothers and expecting mothers, we would give them $100 each!”  For two hours following, we had the entire village’s women line up for their share of the community gift, each receiving a blue oil paint mark on their left arm to ensure minimal double takers.  Although we considered this a “project failure” in terms of socially responsible self-help projects, it was a successful outcome to an almost disastrous misallocation of charitable money. You must always maintain flexibility through adversity and be prepared to go to “Plan B” when necessary in philanthropy.

As with many adversities, there is a silver lining with this Shipibo Passion Project. The Inti Raymi Fund and the women of the San Francisco community have forged an alliance whereby we purchase at fair market retail price, the artisans beautiful hand-made beaded bracelets.  This allows the Inti Raymi Fund to share the beauty from the Jungle captured in their artwork as gifts to show the world, and it helps sustain the village with a significant work agreement with much higher prices attained for them that usual wholesale arrangements.