by Joyce Gallardo

Out of the complex answer to this poignant question was born El Proyecto Social Q’ewar, where healing could take place in a salutary, respectful, and humane working environment. El Proyecto would become an antidote to the common social ailments of extreme poverty, alcoholism, and malnutrition that plague the small towns and villages in the Province of Quispicanchi, Peru, to which Andahuaylillas, home of the Q’ewar Social Project, belongs.  In this harsh survival culture, high in the Andes Mountains 12,000 feet above sea level, families often live in small, windowless, smoke-filled rooms with earthen floors and walls of mud and adobe--rooms that serve as bedroom, kitchen, and yard for the animals.

The therapeutic process of doll making    
The Project was initiated seven years ago by Peruvian native Julio Herrera Burgos, former high school art and sculpture teacher at the Waldorf School in Lima, Peru and his wife, Evelina Lucila (Lucy)  Terrazas, in response to the poverty and homelessness in their community of Andahuaylillas. They started a doll-making workshop in their home and selected women to train to make Waldorf-inspired dolls who were single or homeless mothers without economic support for their families, women who had suffered domestic violence, and young women living in high-risk situations. A therapeutic process was created as four indigenous women made these dolls in their own likeness—beautiful brown-skinned, dark-eyed, black-haired Peruvian dolls, dressed in the typical clothing of their country. The doll making was designed to express the dignity of the human being and thus became a healing activity for the women, who were learning to make the dolls out of their own creativity and imagination. Later on, they would make dolls with blue eyes, red, brown, and blonde hair, and lighter colored skin, as well chocolate-skinned, dark-eyed dolls; the workshop would become a source of multi-ethnic dolls--archetypal images of humankind.  For most of these women, this was the first opportunity they had to learn new skills and to express their innate creativity in a humane and respectful working environment that would help them earn money to support their families.

New hope was born, which brought a sense of self-esteem and pride in their work. The traditional indigenous skills of shepherding alpaca and sheep, carding, spinning, plant dyeing, back strap loom weaving, knitting, and embroidery were fostered and honored.  The doll makers washed, carded and spun the wool used for dolls’ hair, sweaters, and shoes; they sewed and knitted all the distinctive clothes.  Tea-dyed cotton knit gave a warm color to the dolls’ skin.  All natural fibers were used and dolls were stuffed with pure sheep’s wool, while the hair was made from alpaca yarn.  Hand dyed fibers made from indigenous plants colored the clothing.

The first four dolls made at the Q’ewar Project traveled to the United States with Margret Daniels, who during her 70th birthday trip to Peru met the group and at their request took the dolls back to sell.  Friends were very receptive, and JoAnne Dennee, early childhood educator from the Lake Champlain Waldorf School in Vermont. travelled to Q’ewar in response to their request for marketing help.  At the same time, she committed to later taking up the needs of the children and, eventually, the men.  Interest in the dolls grew, and from the small group of four women, Q’ewar has grown since 2002 to employ over 100 families. The dolls are now sold all over the United States and abroad.  As the need to build and expand the workshop grew, the Q’ewar Project moved uphill from the village and some of the husbands of the women who were able in construction were hired to help build the new facilities. The Project has become a place of refuge for the more than 125 women, children and men who walk up the steep hill from the village each day and pass through the big green doors to work, study, and play here.