At age 78, Delia is known as an accomplished Central American artisan who is unique in many ways. Delia is a self-taught artisan from Otavalo whose expertise has long been in demand by those who appreciate hand-crafted items. Twenty five years ago, she individually laid the foundation for her humble entrepreneurial beginnings when she started […]
Cristhian lives on the very edge of the town of Cotacachi. He loves it there; it is tranquil and quiet, with little going on in the neighborhood. He was born in 1986 in Cotacachi. Cristhian learned a lot about the leather trade by himself as a child, even though he had no teacher. In 2008, […]
Year of Birth: 1982 Home: Iluman, Ecuador Favorite Pastime: Play fútbol Carlos R inherited his artisan profession from his parents and has continued their legacy of making quality hats. Carlos creates products in his workshop at home with help from his mother. The materials he works with are toquilla straw, leather, and felted wool. He […]
Carlos and his wife Blanca are grandparents of eight, born to their four children. Their grandson, Carlito an adorable six-year-old, often works with them in their shop on weekends. He is an accomplished salesman at only six! His mother is a doctor, his father, also Carlo, works in genetic engineering at the Catholic University of […]
Working with Minga since 2004 Home: Otavalo, Imbabura Province of Ecuador Products: Aluminum Inlay Jewelry Born: 1972 Favorite Food: Mazamorra Favorite Music: Bob Marley Favorite Pasttime: Walking in the Mountains Favorite Vacation Spot: The Eastern Jungles of Ecuador Goals: Creating a craft/tourist center in San Rafael Armando has been working with Minga since 2004, and […]
Armando was born in Otavalo, Ecuador in 1964. From childhood he was interested in arts such as drawing and painting. As a teen, he went to an arts related high school called Daniel Reyes in Ibarra, a nearby town. His passion led him to join artistic youth groups and he participated in a great number […]
Working with Minga since 2007 Workshop: Otavalo, Ecuador Products: Jungle Jewelry, Tagua Carvings José and Anita have been working with Minga Imports since 2007, when Christopher Keefe met them in the Otavalo market. José first started making jewelry about 10 years ago with seeds from the jungle called cumbilla seeds. He began by selling them in […]
Working with Minga since 2006 Workshop: Ecuador Products: Jewelry-Tagua Andrés and Juanita were both born in 1964 and have been married for 30 years. They have two children, Mateo and Emily, both in elementary school. Andrés parents worked in tagua in Riobamba, where he was born. In 1985 when Juanita married him, his parents taught […]
Albina was born in Juliaca, in the Puno province of Perú. She and her family have been working as artisans for more than 40 years. Her uncles, orphaned at age seven, began as a way to provide for themselves. They began by selling alpaca items in their village. As a child, Albina only attended one […]