Otavalo Market & Unique Cultural Experience (Sacha Warmi Project)

Hands on cultural experience – AJ Sustainable Sacha WarmiKuna women project

For lunch, we will head to Pijal, a small village located in the heart of the Andes to visit one of the AJ sustainable projects called Sacha WarmiKuna (women from the mountain). This is one fantastic effort developed by AJ and the local women with the main purpose to support their families and encourage the position of the women in the local society, providing them an alternative side work beside housekeeping, as a new option for an in-come. Once at the project you will experience an unforgettable cultural encounter, immersing yourself in the true spirit of the South-American woman and their skills for textiles and a deep culinary knowledge coming from the past generations. You will be part of the preparation of “Aji”, a local spicy salsa which is part of their identity, you will also share precious time with them and a tasty traditional lunch in which local women have used the fresh products harvested the same day from the surrounding organic fields. Later we will learn more about the weaving process of their textiles.We will arrive back in Quito in the late afternoon.

Through the visits that this workshop house will receive,The women have developed an itinerary so that the time you stay in Pijal will be a great experience.

12:30 The AJ Guide will introduce you to Sacha Warmikuna.

-This half hour is focused on learning about medicinal plants, Carmen is one of the founders of Sacha Warmikuna, she has great experience in the management of ancestral medicine.

-Recognition of the place.

-Visit the garden where the majority of vegetables are obtained from  the crops of the people who live in the surroundings less than 1  km.The community is an example of the practice of the concept of zero Km Food, the food which travels zero kilometers. Mainly it refers to non-industrial fruits, vegetables, cheese, meat, honey etc, which does not go through global trade chains, therefore it does not have big price margins and quality loss during long storage in international supermarkets. It also has an important ecological aspect which can not be overseen; since there is no transport involved (we buy from the shop on the corner), the environment does not suffer from direct and indirect pollution.

13:00 Once you know where the food comes from, You have a typical menu from the Andes for lunch. 

-Before serving us the food, you will be able to participate in the elaboration of the chili sauce, it is a custom of hundreds of years, it is a woman’s work and if they know how to prepare it, they are ready to get married. In Ecuador, the spicy sauce is served separately so you can choose how spicy you like the food

14:00 The last 30 minutes will be an explanation provided in their Kichwa language about the process of manufacturing scarves that is typical in their community. 

AJ Guide will be the translator.

PROCESS AND DEMONSTRATION

The process of manufacturing wool-alpaca scarves use resources and materials found in the sector,

• Choose alpaca and sheep wool
• Washing and drying – alpaca or sheep wool
• Scrubbing and cleaning wool 
• Combing wool to spin yarn
• Spinning yarn 
• Dying yarn with plant pigments 
• Weaving (2 weeks)
• Final product 

The demonstration will be given step by step, all the materials are ready, just you can observe the weaving process. The teamwork of the women will allow the Sacha Warmikuna to have a variety of products in addition to scarves that are also is made by hand,

• You can find medicinal pads a mix between medicinal plants and embroidery (insomnia problems)
• embroidered tablecloths
• embroidered table runners 
• Ponchos 
• natural medicine, etc.

Food & Accommodation

Lunch.