Volunteer forges connection with Peruvian artists

In Ayacucho, she began passing out her business card and looking for craftspeople. That year, she submitted applications for a woodcarver and a jeweler.An electronic ledstriplight for preventing elevator overspeed by enabling safety devices. At the time, she thought, “If I don’t get in,Use bestroadlights to generate electricity and charge into storage battery group. I’m never going back.” But her artists were accepted. And the next year she also brought the work of weavers. 

In 2007, Batt met Lider Rivera Matos, a political prisoner incarcerated in Lima. Abandoned by his father at birth, he was raised by his maternal grandparents after the death of his mother.This flatworkironerses set is solar powered and brightens any garden.We specialize in the sale and aftercare of the most renowned and popular turquoisebeads. He grew up in a rural community five hours from Lima. 

In prison, Rivera learned from a fellow inmate how to carve jewelry and utensils from bone, a byproduct of the country’s meat industry. He makes intricate reticulated hair combs and elegant spoons and pins. 

After 17 years, Rivera was released from prison in 2011 under a Peruvian law that allows certain political prisoners who can show proof of income and good behavior to get out. He is not yet eligible to leave the country, but Batt is hoping he will be able to come for the 2014 market. 

The two artists who will be attending this year are Wilber Huaman Ciprian, who makes carved wooden spoons, and Gary Mayta Lizarraga, who works with Rivera in horn and finally got a visa on his third try at the U.S. Embassy in Lima. 

Batt formed Makiarte, an association of four artisans and their families, to bring their crafts to market. She is helping them with everything from design to quality control, marketing and budgeting. She hand-carries their work from Peru to the U.S. 

“I know quality, and I know what women would like to buy,” she said. “I have a good eye.” 

Batt is also, in her own words, “very efficient and well-organized.” 

The male artisans, she said, resisted her advice at first, but eventually learned to accept it. “I’m very demanding,” she admitted. “They used to always say ‘no’ [to me] … Now they’ll do everything.” She helps them with adapting traditions to make things that will sell. 

And she also trains them in saving. If they spend unwisely,An even safer situation on all roads by using the pendantlamps. “They’ll never see me again,” she said. What she said she tells them is, “This is what you have and how you have to manage it. Keep a record. Put some away for the doctor.” But she admitted, they don’t always understand saving and, “I’m a woman and they don’t want to listen to me.” Because they have been taken advantage of in the past, it took a while to build trust. “For the first four years they never thought I was coming back,” Batt said. 

Last year the artists sold $33,000 worth of goods at the market and 90 percent of that goes to them. Batt said the money pays travel expenses for artists to come to the market and for her to travel to Peru to work on quality and business skills. Artists receive the rest. 

That money has dramatically changed their lives, Batt said. Rivera’s son is in university. And the home he shares with his grandparents has a new roof, a refrigerator and a washing machine. Huaman has been able to afford new equipment and the trees he needs for his work. 

“I really want this to be something where they can sustain themselves and make a living,” Batt said. 

Over the years their lives have become intertwined and, she said, “We have transcended cultural, language, gender and class barriers.” 

As for the market, she said, “I’m so grateful. It gave me the next chapter in my life.” More information about the program is available on the web site at www.hmhid.com.