Holistic Program
holistic program
providing access and resources to empower our artisans socially and economically
Jessica, Santos, Valentina and Suzi deep in breath and meditation
Every Friday we run holistic wellbeing sessions in our knitting workshop. The women participate in breathwork, meditation, yoga, movement followed by workshops that target physical, emotional, community and financial wellbeing.
We invite health and wellness professionals to come and present topics to the women. The workshops are interactive and provide simple take-home tips which encourage the women to implement and share the knowledge learnt with their broader community.
"Somos fuertes, somos creativas, somos capaz, somos Chimuk!"
Every Friday after breathing and stretching the women recite this phrase above, which translates to "We are strong, we are creative, we are capable, we are Chimuk!"
When the women say this affirmation out loud, they accompany it with movements, creating a somatic and embodied practise.
Left: Chimuk affirmation Right : the artisans grounding into their bodies and mind
This past Friday was payday! Every month the women receive their pay for each product that they have completed. This week we focused our holistic workshop on finances and the importance of building savings. We introduced the model of 70% spending on needs, 20% spending on wants (and debts) and 10% savings. This model was adapted to meet the realities of life for our artisans. We spoke about how to open conversations about finances to their husbands or partners, and the importance of teaching children about savings at a young age.
We also offered a savings plan to the women, offering to put aside 10% of their monthly pay and they will be able to access it at the end of the year. Many of the artisans were highly receptive to this idea, sharing that they would like to build their savings up in case of medical emergencies and to help with start of school costs for their children.
Left: Savings model Right : Ysela preparing the payments
Loved reading about the program?
Please consider supporting the artisans by checking out our website and purchasing the incredible products they create!
Every purchase directly empowers the artisans financially, creating pathways out of poverty.