El Mercurio is named for the historic mercury mine, founded in 1530 in Peru's Santa Barbara community, the birthplace of many of the group's members. The women had incredible knitting abilities, but had been unable to channel their talent in a marketable way. They washed clothes in the river, shined shoes, and worked as maids for other Huancavelica families, but none of these jobs provided a way out of extreme poverty. Now over thirty members gather to knit many varieties of animals and finger puppets. In addition to increasing the members' income exponentially over the years, the workshop acts as a safe space for them to share the joys and challenges of their everyday lives.
The El Mercurio knitting group began in 2003 with five enthusiastic women in Huancavelica, Peru. Here we see the members of the group with their children in their workshop! The members of El Mercurio are: Yody, Sandra, Rosita, Rufina, Tomotea, Julia, Juanita, Antonia, Hayde, Sixta, Rosalina, Rebeca, Reyna, Eusebia, Tanita, Paulina, Tania, Silvia, Domitila, Aydeé Riveros, Aydee Romo, Elisa, Reneé, and Luzmila.
| Weight | 0.05 lbs |
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