Our Programs
Self-sufficiency Projects
In an effort to resolve the problem of families traveling far from home to work in agriculture to earn a living, we created a pilot program to provide seed money to communally run, income-generating, small businesses that will ensure nutritional and economic security.
This approach allows families to remain together, fosters self-sufficiency, and eliminates the need to seek distant employment. Our goal is to create accessible, and sustainable economic opportunities within the communities.
Together, we can strengthen the Shipibo Konibo community and ensure a healthier and more prosperous future for all.
Markets for Women
Many Shipibo Konibo women are skilled in the traditional arts that have been passed down for generations from mothers to daughters. Their unique designs known as kené, is a complex pattern language describing the geography, cosmology, spiritual and daily life of the Shipibo Konibo. The kené are painted on textiles, ceramics, wood carvings, embroidered, and beaded into jewelry.
Sales of their handmade artwork are a vital source of income that is dependent upon tourism, which has been in decline since the Covid-19 pandemic. We are actively seeking partnerships with retailers and designers who wish to work directly with Shipibo Konibo women to expand their market and earn a living from their artwork, while creating a bridge between our worlds through art and cultural exchange. Please check the store for samples of their artwork.