Yarn you can feel good about !!
(excerpted from Jane Ellison's website www.janeellison.co.uk/Mirasol)
Located high in the oxygen-starved sierra of the Andes Mountains of Peru near Lake Titicaca, the Mallkini Ranch was established to breed alpaca herds. The owners, Michell and Company, have always had the well-being of their employees uppermost in the running of the ranch. With this aim in view, they have sought a way of supporting their employees in the long term: the Mirasol Project. The solution is to take a percentage of every sale of Mirasol Yarn and invest it in the establishment and running of a boarding-house for local children. The proposal is focused on an infant and child-care programme and after-school support for older children so that the alpaca shepherds' families at Mallkini have a secure place where the children can develop their potential.
The Mirasol Project is named after a young Quechua girl who, with her brother, tends 350 alpacas. Its aim is to fight poverty and encourage community development. As well as providing accommodation, meals and health-care, the boarding-house will be a centre where the children can develop personal, occupational and communication skills and study techniques in specialized after-school workshops. As well as an awareness of other cultures, the centre will also focus on the preservation of the language, culture and tradition of the children and their families.
The architectural design of the boarding-house makes use of local materials and know-how. In its physical, social and educational aspects, value is placed upon local knowledge However, in addition to preserving local traditions, the centre has a creative and innovating function in preparing its children for a changing and challenging future.
Jane Ellison, the designer, explains, "Education is a basic right that some of us take for granted. I feel it is very important that families should grow and learn together. Every society needs to educate its members for its historical continuity and cultural development."
The Mirasol Project is based on Fair trade: a principle that is very important to Jane and that she wishes could become the basis for all world trade. Fair trade guarantees that disadvantaged producers in the developing world get a better deal for their products. The producers receive a price that covers the cost of sustainable production plus an extra premium that is invested in social or economic development projects such as the Mirasol Project.
For more information on this project and its participants, go to either www.janeellison.co.uk/Mirasol or www.mirasolperu.com.
