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Creating work opportunities in Peru by
producing handmade greeting cards
and wedding stationery
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The Esperanza
project started in September of 2003 as a small response to
the great lack of work opportunities in Peru. The
project is based in Trujillo, a city on the North desert
coast of Peru. The idea is to generate work, at
present largely for women, by producing attractive handmade
cards and other products for sale in the UK. |
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Two of the women
produce recycled coloured craft
paper from waste, which the other
women use as their basic material, for producing artwork on greeting
cards.
The cards are sold in three
ways:
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Direct orders from this
website
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Through voluntary
representatives who generously give of their time to make the
cards available to others
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Through our BAFTS
representative and supporter, RAINBOW TURTLE (www.rainbowturtle.co.uk)
who speak out for justice on trade issues in Paisley, Scotland
and beyond.
All profits from the sale of
cards are invested directly back into the project. Selling these
products in the UK enables a fair wage to be paid to the women
employed by the project. The work in itself is dignifying and
creative with flexible hours which contributes to an improved
quality of life for women who often have to leave their children
with a relative or neighbour in order to go out to work long hours
for low wages.
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The group works together as a
cooperative of card producers coordinated and trained by
Rosa Calderón and Rosmery Tuesta (photo right), both beneficiaries of the
project who have developed skills and experience necessary
to provide an efficient service to customers in the UK.
The project is supported and developed by Debbie Thompson, a
Brit who lived in Trujillo for almost 14 years. She is
now based in Pangbourne, Berkshire, UK. Her motivation
comes from seeing at first hand the effects of the stagnant
economy and intense competition between businesses, on the
lives of the poor. People are often locked into a mind-numbing
sense that they must continually work and live on the brink
of financial crisis. |
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We think you will be pleasantly surprised at the
quality of our cards which are no more expensive than many
printed cards you can buy at normal retail outlets.
Esperanza means hope and job opportunities and fair wages
are so scarce in Peru that we could have many more people
excited to work for this project if we could sell more cards.
You can purchase these cards with the knowledge that every
order makes a significant difference in the life of another. |
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