26/06/2017
Here at Inkaterra, eco-friendliness and sustainability are ingrained in everything we do; from rehabilitating endangered animals, to crafting conservation corridors to ensure the safe migration of native species. This month, we’ve been working with a community on Lake Valencia, about five hours from Alto Madre de Dios in the Amazon rainforest, helping to educate them on the value of conservation and sustainability.
Close to Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica, we’ve been busy creating an outpost to support the local community, offering them an environment in which to make a steady income.
By generously donating their time and physical power, Inkaterra’s General Manager, Mr Enrique Gamero, and other Inkaterra volunteer staff from the area and Lima office members have helped to build a Maloca; an ancestral longhouse traditionally used by natives in the Amazon. The newly established Maloca will act as a marketplace where local artisan products handcrafted by the community can be produced and traded.
Artisan simply means “hand-crafted”, and products which have been laboured for a particular use, either functional or decorative. For example, jewellery or sculptures are frequently created into striking artisan pieces to be sold. The way in which artisan products are created sets them aside from mass-produced labels and brands, using traditional methods to make bespoke, ‘one-off’ items. Building the Maloca, and supporting the local community in producing artisan products, helps to preserve culture, ensuring traditions are not lost.
In association with the Directorate General of Crafts – the Ministry of Foreign Commerce and Tourism – the ancestral longhouse will ensure that the community have a safe, effective, and eco-friendly base to trade their artisan products. At Inkaterra we are committed to creating a thriving business for the community, and to support this, we’ll be organising a three-phase training workshop for the Valencia artisans, offering education and ultimately, a boosted income.
