ANNUAL REPORT 2017 1
TABLE OF CONTENTS Who We Are
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Message from Executive Director
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Story of the Year
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Cooperative Spotlight
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Dashboard 9 Financial Statements
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Supporters 12 Staff & Board of Directors
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WHO WE ARE Awamaki collaborates with rural Andean communities to create economic opportunities and improve social well-being. We are a growing and sustainable not-for-profit business helping women’s cooperatives learn to start and run their own businesses. We offer skills trainings and market access opportunities to our partner women’s cooperatives. We believe that empowering women transforms communities. Poor women know what their families need. Given the opportunity to earn an income, they invest in their children, their homes, their farms, their businesses, and their communities. 3
MESSAGE FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Dear Friends and Supporters, This year, we have seen one of our biggest long-held goals come to fruition. Four years ago, we set our intention to build a women’s incubator program that not only gave women artisans access to income, but helped them build sustainable businesses that are independent of Awamaki. You have shown us immense support and enthusiasm for this goal, and this year we graduated our first cooperative, the Rumira knitters, from that model. Their success is also ours and yours, and I hope you take a minute to read their story in a few pages. We are also laying the groundwork to graduate our second group, the Songuillay weavers, as we work on business skills with them, and encourage them to add new members who are literate, speak Spanish, and can help them navigate the world of client relationships in the world outside their community. Felicitas is one of those new members, and you can read more about her in this report. Meanwhile, we have been hard at work growing the sales of our artisans’ work. This year, we improved the design and quality of our finished products. We invested in our design team and sent them to discover new, more reliable suppliers. We worked alongside master dyers to return to using organic dyes. We brought our artisans deeper into the design process, innovating in textures and techniques. This work has paid off with the highest-quality and most impressive collection we have produced yet. As we grow our sales and as our artisans grow their businesses, space opens in our program to new artisans who are eager for the education and income opportunities that you support. This year, we added three new artisan groups, bringing the total number of women in our program to 170. Deepening our impact with community-based education while expanding our program to new artisans is exactly our vision, and you have helped make it real. Your support has empowered women artisans to build their businesses, and they are earning a sustainable living, many of them for the first time. As we see them invest in their children, homes and communities, we are so grateful to you for what you have made possible. With gratitude, Kennedy Leavens Executive Director
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STORY OF THE YEAR
MEET FELICITAS Felicitas comes trekking up the hill, her manta woven of the brightest yarn, and her montera covered in sequins and flowers glistening in the sun. Confident, and with a broad smile she approaches me, reaches out her hand to take mine before I’m even aware she knows who I am. I’m not used to such exuberant social confidence from the women of our Quechua communities, but right off the bat I can tell something about Felicitas is different than the other women in our partner cooperative, Songuillay. Felicitas joined the cooperative this year as part of a cohort of young women who are educated and speak fluent Spanish. Awamaki requested that the cooperative add these young women to help the cooperative connect with other customers for their weavings and their community tours so that they can build a sustainable business and graduate the group from Awamaki’s program. As Awamaki Marketing and Communications Coordinator, I was sent to chat with her and get to know a little more about what has brought her so much success in life, so young. Felicitas is an energetic 21-years-old, and she exudes an “I can do anything I want to” mentality, like any young adult. She was born and raised in the rural Quechua community of Patacancha, a mere 45 minute car ride away from Ollantaytambo, and yet seemingly another world entirely. The eldest of six daughters, Felicitas explained to me the pressure she felt to be an example to her sisters, and to show them what was possible in this world.
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After completing 11 years of primary and secondary schooling in Patacancha, Felicitas continued on to pursue further schooling so that she could prepare for a career in tourism. Few from this region complete high school, especially women, but Felicitas did, and then continued on to specialize in a professional field. “My parents paid for my schooling, my uniform, my materials,” explained Felicitas, “they made many sacrifices.” Her father worked long and difficult hours as a porter on the Inca Trail, while her mother worked with one of Awamaki’s partner artisanal cooperatives, weaving. She too found herself with many responsibilities when her parents left for their farmland to care for their animals; Felicitas was left behind to care for her five younger sisters. “I did everything; I had to comb their hair, feed the animals here in town, cook the food, wash the clothes, help with their homework,” all the while attending high school herself. Finding employment has proven to be challenging for Felicitas, like others who live in Patacancha. Felicitas hopes to contribute to the Songuillay weaving cooperative and build a career in Patacancha using her education in tourism and her proficient Spanish skills to support the group's work in tourism and weaving. “They can’t interact very easily down in the cities,” she explained, only a few of the women know how to read and write, or speak Spanish. This results in economic challenges for the community. Her success in school has already opened doors for her as her ability to fluently speak Spanish will assist the cooperative to connect to market opportunities beyond those of Awamaki. Many of the girls from Patacancha encounter challenges along the path to graduation, and are unfortunately not able to finish school. Pressure to drop out to help at home or start a family of their own is high. Felicitas, however, has managed to overcome these challenges. “Since I was 15 I’ve had many dreams, after secondary school I thought ‘I can’t stay here;’ I’ve always wanted to better myself from my
parents and be an example to my siblings.” With the support of her family she left her community for three years as she attended an institution in the nearby town of Urubamba to establish a career in tourism. Felicitas is passionate about staying and living in her community again, and using tourism as a way to preserve their local cultural customs and traditions. “Before my goal was to finish my training program, but now that I have, I haven't earned my degree, so this year I want to do that,” Felicitas explained while talking about her goals for the future. A final project, and a presentation at the institution in Urubamba is all that stands in her way. From there she is eager to work in experiential tourism, and eventually start her own tourism business in the area. “My mom has always had to work so hard to support for us, and I saw my siblings and I knew I wanted to someday start my own business.” Felicitas knows that starting her own small business based on the trainings she’s completed will help her to support her younger siblings and ensure that they find success in their educations in the same way that she has thus far. This is the cycle of empowerment at Awamaki: from Felicitas’ mother, Fortunata, to Felicitas, and now continuing on with her younger sisters. As Felicitas and other young, educated artisans join our cooperatives, they will be able to increasingly connect their fellow artisans to outside markets, on their own terms and for the benefit of their families and communities. We at Awamaki are very excited to see the benefits of empowered and educated women continuing on toward the next generation, and we are honored to be working with so many women who are as inspiring and joyful as Felicitas.
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COOPERATIVE SPOTLIGHT
RUMIRA GRADUATES
For three years we have been telling you about our goal of graduating our cooperatives as independent businesses, and we developed the Awamaki Impact Model as a way to encourage the women to make improvements in their businesses and to take initiative in their work. Our vision is that through our program, they will not only earn an income but also learn to run successful businesses beyond our guidance. When we made the goal to graduate our partner cooperatives as independent businesses, we weren’t even sure that it would be possible. Well, as it turns out: it is! Earlier this September we graduated our first cooperative of hardworking women. “One of the goals of Awamaki
is that our groups can be self-motivated, that they are groups with the capacity to manage themselves,” Mercedes Durand, head of our Women’s Cooperative Program, beamed during the recent graduation ceremony for our Rumira Women’s Cooperative. The Rumira knitters show that this is possible. Located just down the valley from Ollantaytambo, Rumira is home to 24 motivated women. With your generous help, we have been providing business and knitting trainings for four years, including helping them build an artisan center. Once they had their own space, they gained a home for their floor looms, and landed several orders from the local 7
“At first they didn’t know how to knit professionally, and secondly they didn’t know how to interpret the patterns, they didn’t have good communication, and they weren't organized, Martha commented. With your support the artisans have been trained in women’s empowerment, weaving and knitting techniques, quality control standards, fashion, marketing, exportation, tax brackets, and even computer classes. “First of all, they know how to interpret the patterns, and they can create samples without my help, and they organize for whichever activity they have,” added Martha, of the changes she’s seen take place among the women. They also keep track of their orders from other clients, bill those clients and manage artisan payments for them. After four years of working with Awamaki, nearly 46% of the women are earning as much or more than their
partners. With the money they make, they support 70 children and disabled or elderly adults in their homes. Rumira’s graduation gives us the capacity to begin working with new cooperatives and allows us to direct our energy into empowering even more women from the Sacred Valley. This year we have added a new group of spinners and knitters both in the community of Huilloc, something that we wouldn’t have the capacity to do without the anticipation of Rumira’s graduation. This recent expansion brings the total number of artisans in our partner cooperatives to 168 women. Thanks to the support of all of our donors we are able to continue our work everyday towards more graduation ceremonies like Rumira’s and continuing to grow and expand the communities with which we work!
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DATA DASHBOARD: Programs, Cooperatives, & Communities
170 Women 9 Coops 37 Average Age 47% Artisans with no schooling
s/.
33 Retail Partners
163,848 Total Tourism income
300 Average Income s/.
2,858 Products Sold
per woman
23 Independent Clients
142 Tours 713 Family members supported
40 Workshops 9
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS STATEMENT OF PROFIT AND LOSS Asociaciรณn Civil Awamaki
Awamaki U.S. 2017
Revenues Fair Trade product sales Grants and Donations Tourism income Other Total
$ 157,630.48 $ 98,428.96 $ 203,563.08 $ 2,944.48 $ 462,567.00
COS Profit
$ 172,075.36 $ 290,491.64
Expenditures Operations Facilities Staff Fundraising Program Other Inventory reconciliation Total Net Income
$ 40,165.58 $ 47,444.64 $ 134,781.50 $ 0.00 $ 84,590.68 $ 8,708.13 $ 14,404.27 $ 330,094.80
2017
Revenues Donations and Grants Tourism income Other Total
$ 64,214.64 $ 802.00 $ 5.40 $ 65,022.04
Expenditures Operations Facilities Staff Fundraising Program Other Total
$ 1,914.52 $ 0.00 $ 0.00 $ 1,874.15 $ 67,949.94 $ -0.80 $ 71,737.81
Net Income
$
-6,715.77
$ -39,603.16
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STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION AsociaciĂłn Civil Awamaki and Awamaki U.S., combined Assets Cash Accounts Receivable Inventory Fixed Assets Total Assets
2017
2016
2015
$ 120,999.58 $ 11,625.37 $ 18,509.74 $ 0.00 $ 151,134.69
$ 150,700 $ -3,700 $ 32,600 $ 2,400 $ 182,000
$ 116,900 $ 8,800 $ 29,800 $ 2,400 $ 157,900
Liabilities
$ 1,182.21
$ 1,400
$ 2,600
Net Assets Opening Balance Unrestrictd Net Assets Net Income
$ -35,722.82 $ 231,994.60 $ -46,318.93
$ -35,700 $ 183,900 $ 32,400
$ 35,700 $ 143,000 $ 48,000
Total Liability & Net Assets
$ 151,135.06
$ 182,000
$ 157,900
Note on financial statements: Awamaki U.S. is a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) non-profit responsible for raising funds to support the Awamaki goal of creating economic opportunities for rural Andean women. The Asociacion Civil Awamaki is a Peruvian non-profit civil association responsible for carrying out women’s empowerment programs in Peru.
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THANK YOU 2017 SUPPORTERS Gwyneth and John Drake
John Weeks
Thomas Weeks
Jonathan Bodansky
Nancy Meffe
Lizzy Hazeltine
Pamela weeks Kevin Davis Kristen Clark and Jeff Reddy Nancy Kennedy and Ladd Leavens Vicki Weeks and David Jones Birte and Jim Falconer Stephen Rummage Karen Overstreet Robert Homchick Natalie Davis Kyle Samuels
Sara Gablin Brandon Trevino
Krissa Andersen Iben Falconer
Kirsten Nelsen and Jacob Lipson
Maureen and Jim Hendersen
Sue Little
Logan Saliga Kirby Zicafoose
Catherine Farrey Linda Ohsberg Kennedy Leavens Paul Oyer Shelley Miller Vernon Jones Vernon Jones Gillian Walker Jessica Dash Ann Dockendorf Kyle Samuels Christopher Amirault Steven Holland
Denise Chedester Mckenzie Rhone
Valeria Buitron Trindade
Angela Valli
Mollie Henager
Mikaila Brennan
Mira Wiegele
Lee Kennedy Porter
Carolina Fowler
Suzanne Puckett
Joseph Spir
Megan Senior
Bailey Fohr
Anna Reeve
Shannon Walsh
Carlo Zafranco
Isabel Strebe
Emily Green
Meaghan Bogart
Steven Holland
Stephanie Ryder
Christina Armes
Lorena Abarca Pliego
David Harrison Steve Froemming John Harvey Katherine Swierenga Donita Sturgis Jay Schwartz Laura Inveen Kathleen O'Connell Matthiah Larkin Dan Thompson The David and Patricia Giuliani Family Foundation
Catherine Jones Keely Hendricks
John Harvey
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STAFF & BOARD OF DIRECTORS
AWAMAKI STAFF Kennedy Leavens, Executive Director Yovana Candela, Financial Manager and Programs Director Alejandra Carrillo-MuĂąoz, Head Designer Mercedes Durand, Women's Artisanal Cooperatives Coordinator Martha Zuniga, Women's Artisanal Cooperatives Coordinator Brianna Griesinger, Marketing and Communications Coordinator Laddy Canal-Mar, Director of Sales and Impact Juan Camilo Saavedra, Sustainable Tourism Coordinator Laura Brokaw, International Partnership Manager Annemarie Toccket, Resource Development Director
AWAMAKI BOARD OF DIRECTORS Annemarie Toccket Ladd Leavens Kramer Gillin Tom Weeks Jessica Younker Kennedy Leavens Kristen Clark, CPA
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