Social project in Willoq community

The Willoq community is located 1 hour away from Ollantaytambo. Tourism doesn’t always benefit these areas, even though thousands of tourists flock through Ollantaytambo to Machu Picchu. While some communities in the Sacred Valley see the benefits, other remote communities don’t get the same opportunities. We decided to reach a proper remote community located in the highlands of the Sacred Valley. These indigenous communities still maintain a traditional way of life and are dedicated mainly to agricultural activities, raising llamas and alpacas, and weaving activities for their clothing.

In order to provide a viable economic alternative for women to leave extreme poverty, we started working with the women from the Willoq community to develop a women’s weaving cooperative. AB Expeditions groups are able to visit this community, making a volunteer visit before your trips to Machu Picchu begin or after finishing them. Here you will meet local women and learn about all the stages of the weaving process, like hand-spinning the wool, dying the wool using natural plants, and participating in a weaving demonstration.

Also, you will learn about the local’s farming labor, visit the farmlands, and participate in their daily life, like planting, harvesting, feeding guinea pigs, or raising animals, depending on what season you visit. You will also participate in preparing delicious local meals to share with local women and kids. You have the chance to buy high-quality textiles and souvenirs directly from the women who made them.

Until now, 10 women are part of the association, constantly learning new methods and techniques of production to make items that our travelers find useful for themselves and their trips, while also keeping the traditional weaving methods and techniques to produce textiles made from alpaca wool.