Note: This post details the events of our previous week’s work, not the work of this current week. We have been incredibly busy building cocinas mejoradas and preparing materials for the women’s co-op. More on that in our next post.
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This past week has been relatively slow, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Our primary focus was on preparation and getting ready for the coming weeks. We checked out the site of a cable bridge used by many local children when traveling to and from school. The cables are supported on each side by large, wooden structures that have been in place for a number of years. Unfortunately, these cables are currently broken, rendering the bridge unusable. With the guidance of a few experienced engineers, we hope to assist in reinforcing these structures with concrete, improving the durability and safety of the bridge.
We also spent quite a bit of time in Ciudad de Dios, taking inventory on the various accessories sold by the women’s co-op and taking some nearly completed products to Trama to be sewn together by highly skilled seamstresses. Surprisingly, the price of getting their products sewn at Trama is considerably less expensive than it has been in the past with other, less skilled seamstresses. The improved quality of sewing will help to increase the value of the women’s products and produce greater profits.
Lastly, we gathered a ton of supplies for the archeological fair that took place in Ciudad de Dios this past Sunday. This event had a large turnout of both archeologists and fellow MOCHE peers. It was a fantastic opportunity for the women to sell many of their accessories all at once and for our friends to get a look into what us Nourishers have been up to. Lots of our friends had expressed interest in purchasing the products and the women of Ciudad de Dios did not disappoint. Food was also served at the fair, including cuy (guinea pig), a traditional food for many Peruvians. It’s not every day that the opportunity to eat a guinea pig presents itself, so I took full advantage of it.