Frida

Frida is a single artisan; she is 32 years old. In 2011 she worked as weaver member of a committee led by her godmother, she always was talent and with that works she could support his sisters and mother who had been abandoned by her father.

As she was shine, the godmother instead of congratulating her, saw in her a competition and began to mistreat her to the point that she was expelled from the committee, also in a meeting with other committees, she agreed not to receive her in any committee.

Seeing her talent, we made that she come to Lima to work with us for many months, so she could make new samples and help in the finishing of the products, she always showed responsibility, dedication and talent, but according to the agreements of the central committee, she could not be a stable weaver of any committee, which was unfair.

In consequence of the close of the previous company, the artisans were left without work and after several months at the request of customers especially from Germany and Japan; we created a new company, which started on april 2014, we consult with the alls committees that want to continue working with us and also we had the opportunity to create new committees, so we asked to Frida to create a new committee because we saw that she was very eager to work and had the conditions to do it, although emotionally she was very affected by the fights and threats pf her godmother.

For our part, we provided emotional support by talking to her constantly and advising her to ask for guarantees for the threats she received. In the beginning she wove in secret out of fear , then she took safety and assumed other responsibilities such as providing support to knitters from other committees doing it always with a lot of disinterests and vocation of service.

For all of this and her ability of weave, we assignee each time more orders with larger quantities, always she answered good. Of this form she can help her sisters to finishes their homes separately and now they are helping to Frida have her own house that now is in construction and could have more comfort.

Minkay has also participed in this project, as the companies that are clients giving her the opportunity to give her work by knitting many garments for different countries and with the fruit of that work soon Frida, will have her house, a dream come true.

Now Frida has become one of the best weavers and is an example of overcoming thanks to fair trade.

Interview with Frida Quispe

Interviewer: Frida, which was your dream?

Frida: It was to have my own house well built as other people had.

Interviewer: Did you think that it was possible to have your house like you have now, when you were part of your godmother’s committee?

Frida: Not I don’t, because I worked as a slave and I didn’t see progress, and also I didn’t have the capital to buy raw material.

Interviewer: Have you noticed any change in your person and your economy since that you work with Minkay?

Frida: yes, I have it, principally in my person, Minkay teach me to not lower the head and to value myself as a person; now I am another person, more sure of myself and trusted that I can get all that I want, also my economy is different, now I have capital to buy alpaca fiber with anticipation with the advance payment that Minkay give to the artisans and also have for my stock.

Interviewer: Frida, was easy to get your dream?

Frida: No it wasn’t. I tried too hard too much, sometimes I didn’t sleep and I kept knitting until late at night and also I thought if I did not work like this I never will get my dream.

Interviewer: How do you feel now?

Frida: I feel very happy and grateful with the customers, because with their orders, they have allowed that we have a constant work for me and my partners of the another committee.

Interviewer: what do you hope of the customers of the other countries?

Frida: Please continue help us with more orders and also that continue the work to continue to excel and improv, and on the other hand to congratulate to all the customers to give us an opportunity to have a work.

Interviewer: what do you think about Minkay?

Frida: I am very grateful with Minkay for all that they made for me; now I am another person with my dream come true, I not longer suffer from capital, thanks to the advances payment that they give to us, with that we can buy our material for each one of the artisans who works with Minkay, we are paid promptly as soon as our production is approved by the Mss. Carmen, who is the charge of the quality control in Lima.