The Good That Comes From Wool

By Casey Neese

October 3, 2019

Last Updated: June 24, 2010

Ignacia Quispe (right) at the Tinke Community in Peru


Day 4: Tinke Community Project Visit

Today we visited with Martin and Ignacia Quispe and their 5 children (4 boys and 1 girl). This community has been working with Heifer for five years. The Quispe's received one each of brown and white male alpacas for breeding. Through improved breeding for finer, more dense wool, the alpacas produce a much improved grade of wool for sale. This results in the improved alpacas with finer, thicker wool and of one color (not mixed or spotted) to be sold for up to 10 times more: $30 versus $300.

Ignacia tends to the alpacas while Martin works in the field growing barley or oats. The alpacas know Ignacia's voice and she takes pride in improving the stock of alpacas which is enabling them to improve their lives while sending their kids to school. The high altitude of this area - more than 12,000 feet above sea level - makes living challenging.

Steve Stirling, Heifer International executive VP of Marketing and Resource Development, is part of a contingent of Heifer staff traveling in Peru this week. You can read this group's previous posts here.

The Tinke Community

Steve Stirling meets one of the alpacas.