Our Mission
“Threads of Peru is a not-for-profit social enterprise that connects the world to handmade treasures of the Andes, helping to strengthen ancient craft techniques and empower artisans.”
OUR MODEL: Strengthen, Empower, Connect
Strengthen Cultural Traditions
The tradition of weaving stretches back through 5,000 years of history in Peru, from the coastal cities of Paracas and Nazca to the high Andean peaks of Cusco and Ayacucho. Even today, back-strap weaving is an incredibly important component of identity in the high Andes, as much as traditional alpaca herding and the native Quechua language.
Threads of Peru seeks to revitalize cultural traditions by providing sustainable markets for these incredibly fine textiles.
Our commitment is to breathe life once again into the incomparable value and knowledge of natural fibers, natural dyes, and textile traditions only found in this awe-inspiring corner of the world.
We dream that making these traditions economically viable will inspire young Quechua men and women to take pride in their cultural heritage - in weaving, in speaking Quechua, and in living in their native communities—and to pass it along for centuries to come.
Empower Indigenous Artisans
Threads of Peru works with weavers who are predominantly women. International development studies show that when women receive their own income, the health and well-being of their children improves at a much faster rate than when men have sole control of the family’s income.
With little or no access to education, however, and few available economic opportunities close to home, the vast majority of women in the high Andes are still entirely reliant on their husbands. By marketing the work produced by weavers in these communities and by sourcing products from like-minded organizations across Peru, Threads of Peru is providing an opportunity for women to earn an income while continuing to live a traditional lifestyle and care for their children.
Connect Cultures
Threads of Peru aspires to be both an educational resource and sales platform for traditional textiles, educating the wider global community on the value and unique beauty of Quechua weaving. Our website, blog, and social media networks are collaboratively maintained by team-members who have all been deeply inspired by the Threads of Peru mission and seek to share that passion with the world. The overall mission and model of Threads of Peru is concretized in reaching global citizens and communicating the importance of socially conscious investment.