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Eva Pizarro
Upon leaving her village near Cusco at age 17
in search of a better life, Evangelina (Eva)
Pizarro found a job in a jewelry factory in
Lima and worked nearly 80 hours a week, earning
only $115 a month. She was raising two children
alone and was locked in the factory each day
until the managers decided it was okay for the
workers to go home. Eva had no choice when she
could leave to care for her children or when
she would get paid – which was often not for
six months at a time.
After
seven exhausting years in the factory, Eva
decided that she deserved better. She convinced
several other workers to break off and form
their own business. Their first attempt failed
and most of them ended up back in factory jobs.
But shortly thereafter, Eva heard about a Fair
Trade project in Peru called Bridge of Hope
(BOH) and went to see if she could be involved.
Eva and her colleagues, Sylvia Vargas, Sonia
Anahue, and Ernesto Alca, formed Munay Rumi.
After a year spent improving the samples they’d
originally showed BOH, they produced their
first jewelry items for export.
Munay Rumi has now been working together for four years. Because of their factory jobs, they had a good technical foundation but lacked design expertise. Much of what they produced was commission work or similar to the mass-produced jewelry seen in the local tourist markets. PJT recognized Munay Rumi’s commitment and potential, so PJT sought out jewelry designer Peggy Eng (now Sales Coordinator for PJT) to visit Peru to work with the group. Peggy spent six weeks over two separate trips working with the group to facilitate their development in design, build a cohesive group of designs into a collection, and understand the importance of developing a signature style.
Munay Rumi’s accomplishments and
pieces are especially impressive considering
that their workshop space is small and
minimally equipped. They maximize the use of
the tools they do have and find creative
solutions for the ones they don’t. Unlike in
the U.S., they cannot order materials and
supplies for doorstep delivery. They must
travel by bus into the city to purchase goods
—this can easily turn into a long ordeal
depending on the traffic. They do not have
ready-made precious metal. To have silver sheet
and wire to work with, Munay Rumi must first
take pure silver “grains”, melt and alloy it,
pour an ingot, and then roll it out into sheet
or draw it down into wire.
Along with fellow artisan Ayde Riveros, Eva visited the U.S. for three weeks in the spring of 2009.
“I learned so many things that have proven to be beneficial not just to me and Munay Rumi but to all of the artisans who are a part of Bridge of Hope,” said Eva of the experience. “It is so valuable to know that I’m no longer fighting for a better life on my own. I have the support of Munay Rumi, Bridge of Hope and the other artisan groups who participate, PJT, and so many people in the U.S. who support artisans through Fair Trade.”
While Munay Rumi’s sales increased
an astonishing 48 times since 2006, each member
still had to hold a secondary job because
orders were not steady enough for income to
sustain their families. It was wonderful news
to learn this year that members were able to
leave their other jobs and focus solely on
their passion for creating unique, handmade
jewelry.
As your friend or family member opens up the piece of jewelry you’ve selected for them from Munay Rumi, we hope you can share Eva’s story with them. There is a story like hers behind each Fair Trade item, and these stories bind us all together.
Shop Munay Rumi's products >>
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Munay Rumi has now been working together for four years. Because of their factory jobs, they had a good technical foundation but lacked design expertise. Much of what they produced was commission work or similar to the mass-produced jewelry seen in the local tourist markets. PJT recognized Munay Rumi’s commitment and potential, so PJT sought out jewelry designer Peggy Eng (now Sales Coordinator for PJT) to visit Peru to work with the group. Peggy spent six weeks over two separate trips working with the group to facilitate their development in design, build a cohesive group of designs into a collection, and understand the importance of developing a signature style.
Along with fellow artisan Ayde Riveros, Eva visited the U.S. for three weeks in the spring of 2009.
“I learned so many things that have proven to be beneficial not just to me and Munay Rumi but to all of the artisans who are a part of Bridge of Hope,” said Eva of the experience. “It is so valuable to know that I’m no longer fighting for a better life on my own. I have the support of Munay Rumi, Bridge of Hope and the other artisan groups who participate, PJT, and so many people in the U.S. who support artisans through Fair Trade.”
As your friend or family member opens up the piece of jewelry you’ve selected for them from Munay Rumi, we hope you can share Eva’s story with them. There is a story like hers behind each Fair Trade item, and these stories bind us all together.
Shop Munay Rumi's products >>
Read about other producers >>