Who is WUAMAN?
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The Founders
Sandra & Edoardo -
We created WUAMAN out of love. Love for each other, love for our families, and love for our fellow artisans from the Peruvian Andes.
We are a direct-to-consumer brand, meaning we handle our own production and distribution. Therefore, your purchase directly supports us! The Artisans and Alpaca Farmers from underdeveloped communities in the Andes of Peru.
How It All Began
By Sandra -
In Huancayo, Peru (1987) my father, Jose Huaman, was sixteen years old when his father taught him to knit on a manual knitting-machine. Grandpa had his own business making clothing, and it was time for Dad to contribute.
A few years later, when Mom, Nelly, and Dad were expecting me. They decided to invest in two manual knitting machines, and expand the family business. They would knit sweaters and sell them at local markets. After years of hard work, they were excited to open their first shop.
Fast Forward to Year 1999
We wanted to become a more sustainable company. We produced all our products using Sustainable Alpaca Fiber, we eliminated plastic from our packaging and tags, and we began reducing our printing by going digital.
Today, our company is Fair Trade Certified by Peru’s Chamber of Commerce for Exportation.
Fair Trade Certification = Fair Wages + Community Involvement + Environment Protection.
We are equipped with modern knitting machines, along-side our original manual knitting machines.
Social Responsibility
Our purpose is to generate sustainable development in underdeveloped Andean communities, like ours, by creating fair trade/long-term employment for members of our community.
Our products are handmade including embroidery and crochet, handcrafted products and handmade designs are WUAMAN's signature.
This let us to create Free Training Workshops where we teach embroidery, crochet, and sewing, to members of our community. By learning multiple marketable trades, they can achieve economic stability and create growth within our community.
Most of our employees are women. Many of them are single mothers who work from home, where they can manage their work schedule while simultaneously taking care of their children.