The surroundings are dry, dusty and run-down, but the intricately hand-painted crafts that the family produces are stunning. In a small carpentry workshop on the outskirts of Lima, Peru, Alfredo Sacsa works with his wife Isabelle and 17-year-old David, the eldest of his five children.
There’s something else distinctive about the items they make ‑ the family gets a fair price for its work. Many of the other craftworkers in the area supply companies looking for the lowest price possible with no concern for the conditions in which the goods are produced. Alfredo and Isabelle are able to set the price that their goods sell for. That’s because Alfredo’s business is working with Manos Amigas, a Created partner. Manos Amigas has also helped Alfredo with training in new trends and styles to improve the range of products he makes, as well as helping him find new markets.
When Alfredo receives an order he gets half of the money in advance. This means he doesn’t have to take high-interest loans to purchase his raw materials. Manos Amigas is flexible about the payments too ‑ if Alfredo needs a bit extra, they’ll help out. ‘I have worked with other exporters and we were treated like animals, as if we were not worth anything,’ says Alfredo.
So what motivates the people at Manos Amigas to be so different? Yannina Meza de Rietveld, who leads the organisation, says of the producers, ‘They often ask us “Why are you so different from the other buyers?” It’s a great opportunity to share the gospel. It’s what we do that speaks about the love of God. We try to be open, honest and transparent in what we do, so that they can taste the love of God in their lives. I learned from the Bible to be fair with my brothers and sisters. That is the best example of fair trade. The Bible is the best inspiration.’
Spanish for ‘Hands of Friendship’, Manos Amigas was set up in 1991 by brother and sister Yannina and Tito Metza. They help around 70 groups of Peruvian artisans, from rural areas of Cusco and the urban sprawl of Lima to find markets for their traditional handicrafts.
Some 20 per cent of the profits are used to support church-based education and feeding programmes for children from slum areas in Lima.