Meet Our Women Entrepreneurs
Pan Peru USA would not be possible without our women entrepreneurs in Pampas Grande, a small Quechua-speaking village in the Andean mountains of Peru. Many of our women in Pampas Grande live below the poverty line and work as farmers and herders to support their families. The majority of our female entrepreneurs are single mothers. In rural Peru, opportunities to advance economically are limited. Especially for women. The vision of Pan Peru USA is to empower and equip thousands of women entrepreneurs with the knowledge and skills necessary to form and operate an e-commerce digital Alpaca knitting business. We started empowering 1 woman in 2018, today we have empowered 75 female entrepreneurs.
Cristina Sonia Chinchay Vásquez
I am a housekeeper, and I live with my husband, my five children, and my granddaughter. The main difficulty our family faces is the lack of opportunities to improve our financial situation. Fortunately, the Alpaca Pan Peru Project allows me to turn my knitting work into an additional source of income. The money I gain from selling the garments helps me cover family expenses like food, education, and clothing. In the future, I want to receive more training from knitting professionals.
Thank you to the people who have donated and supported us. Because of you, we learned to perfect our knits, and we can cover our expenses.
Juana Luisa Giraldo Yauri
The main economic activities in Pampas Grande are farming and herding; which cover our family’s basic cost of living. I am the mother of three children and am responsible for their education, food, medicine, and clothing. I am also a member of the Alpaca Pan Peru Project, which gives me the opportunity to make and sell different articles of clothing. Pan Peru has helped me to cover my expenses, pay for my daughters’ education, and feed my family. I am very grateful to Pan Peru for the support they give us. They value the work we do.
Thank you to all the people who support us with goodwill. I am very grateful to everyone. May the Lord bless you and your work.
Dioni Aurea Yauri Tamara
I am the mother of a young daughter, responsible for her education, health, and food. I love knitting. It’s a productive activity that greatly helps the women in the Alpaca Pan Peru Project. We have worked to become an effective team. We can hand-knit a sweater in ten days, a vest in eight days, and a cap in one day. My specialty is designing shapes and words in my projects.
Thank you to all the people who willingly buy our knits. The donations help us receive training and purchase new knitting machines to improve the quality of our products.
Gloria Gardenia Ardiles Alegre
I am a single mother and responsible for supporting my son while he is attending a technical school in Lima. I’m participating in the Alpaca Pan Peru Project, which has been a great help for us financially. I use the income I earn to buy food and medicine and to pay for my children’s education. My dream is that my knitting projects will lead to advancement for me and my son. I crochet and knit sweaters, caps, scarves, mittens, and little boots.
I would like to thank everyone who has supported us, especially the founder of Pan Peru, Julia Ardiles.
Narciza Alejandrina Leyva Tahua
Knitting is an exciting hobby that I use to support my young children. My days consist of raising young animals and occasionally working on farms to help pay for basic expenses like food, education, and medicine for my children. I consider myself a crocheting and knitting entrepreneur, selling high-quality articles of clothing to whoever wants them. I hope the Alpaca Pan Peru Project can grow much more, and we can improve the quality of our garments to enter new markets, produce more goods, and obtain more profits.
I am very grateful for the support we have received. Thanks to your purchases and donations, we have increased our families’ income.
Bibiana Nova Heredia Cáceres
I have to support my two children and elderly mother. Our family farm is the only source of income we have. That is why knitting allows me to contribute to our family’s income. Especially now, in the middle of the pandemic, it is hard to find a job in Pampas Grande, and therefore my primary source of income is the Alpaca Pan Peru Project. I use the money I gain to buy food, essential supplies, and to pay for the education of my children. I like to knit sweaters, caps, vests, little boots, and other garments. The Alpaca Pan Peru Project has taught me a lot, and I want to keep improving the quality of my products.
Thank you so much to the people who support us, and I would like to ask them to continue betting on this team. We will return this support by improving our knits.
Gudelia Heredia Chilca
I live with my parents, my husband, and my nephews. I’ve been knitting for many years. My mother taught me when I was just a girl. I now see knitting as an opportunity to contribute to my family’s income. The objective of the Alpaca Pan Peru Project is to consolidate the production of handmade garments into a small business and sell to those who want to support us. I want to become an entrepreneur, have my store in which to sell my products because, with the help of Pan Peru, we have received training, and we have improved the quality of our knits.
Thank you very much for your support, and I wish with all my heart that God gives you health and work.
Aquina Catalina Heredia Chilca
I have two children—one is in higher education, and the second is preparing to apply—and my husband’s job isn’t enough to support us. The Alpaca Pan Peru Project has helped us form a supportive group that works daily to generate additional income for our families. I use my income from the sale of the garments mainly to buy groceries. I hope to improve the quality of my knits and form a business where I can sell them.
Thank you to all the people for their support of the Alpaca Pan Peru Project, and may God bless them always.
Jhunet García Vallagares
I live in the Pampas Grande district of Peru. I am married and have five school-aged daughters. Our primary source of income is farming and herding; which is only enough to feed us and cover some basic expenses. Knitting is something that I enjoy, and my dream is to be able to produce and sell my knits. My specialties are crocheting sweaters, scarves, caps, and quilts. I use the profits I gain from the Alpaca Pan Peru Project to buy groceries and school supplies for my daughters and to improve my family’s diet and nutrition.
Thank you to the people who support us and to Pedro David, who helps us sell our garments in the United States, and I thank God for having touched their hearts by helping the people who wish to progress in life.