Tarma
Tarma is an Andean town about 7 hours east of Lima by bus. Sr Dorothy, who helped to found Casa Betania, has lived there for over 18 years and now co-ordinates a group of women in Tarma to knit.
Around 40 women are making ponchos, children’s clothing, hats, socks, blankets and wall hangings for sale. They are a very vibrant, enthusiastic group and are keen for more work. Some raw materials are not easily sourced in Tarma, and Nelly from Casa Betania sends alpaca wool to them on the bus so that they can knit the ponchos and socks. Other products are made with sheepswool that the women buy locally, and is often handspun.
The women meet weekly in Sr Dorothy's house and knit together whilst discussing their work, ideas for improvements to the products and offering support and friendship to eachother. To get to Tarma, you have to travel by bus, and drive over the highest road pass in Peru (Ticlio), at 4818 metres.
Nearby is the remote and isolated village of Huasa Huasi, where Sr Dorothy lived until the Shining Path guerrillas took control of the village and executed several community leaders, including Sister Irene McCormack. Juana and Diana, two women who live there, crochet some of our beautiful scarves. About 2 hours drive away is the small town of San Pedro de Cajas where some of the traditional Peruvian wall hangings originate from, and from where we source some of our woven products. Some of the women in the Tarma group, such as Haydee, Silvia, Belinda and Justa, are experts in weaving and Sr Dorothy has purchased a wooden loom for them to use.
Other Mamacha projects:
