Captions:
Ceibo de Miguel at sunrise. With the help of the Healthy Living Initiative at Ohio University, a group of eight women learned to make handmade jewelry three years ago in the nearby community of Chaquizcha. The group is now based in Bella Maria, and the artisans have agreed upon the name Los Ceibos because of the unique indigenous tree found in central and South America. I have had the enormous honor and pleasure of working with several of these women to document their lives and work while I am here in hopes of creating a documentary film that will do their inspirational stories justice.
Doris, president of Los Ceibos, surveys the progress of the community center in Bella Maria. She along with the other members of Los Ceibos has helped with the development and construction of the casa comunal in Bella Maria.
Doris is always hard at work. When she isn’t taking care of daily chores, she is creating jewelry or crocheting clothes for Los Ceibos to sell.
The artisans trade off selling merchandise at an artisan fair at the local technical high school in Cariamanga every Friday morning.
In preparation for the 100th birthday party of Doris’ abuelito, Manuel Antenor Correa, Doris’ visiting uncles help cook fritada (fried pork).
Manuel Antenor Correa, 100 years old.
Pajaro, the onmipresent house pet.
Pre-feast lunch feast.
Manuel Antenor Correa celebrates his 100th birthday with over 30 members of his family, some of whom traveled from Spain to join in the celebration.
Gloria, another member of Los Ceibos, learned how to weave from her mother. She is now the last person in her family who knows the process. She is planning to teach the other members of the artesania how to create tapestries so they may broaden their merchandise possibilities.
Gloria’s home, like most, puts focus on the family (‘familia’).
After walking half an hour home from school, Gloria’s son, Yandre, gives his mother a hug while she visits with Doris.
Gloria prepares lunch for her family.
Three of Gloria’s children still live at home and go to school in Bella Maria. Her other children are either attending high school in Cariamanga or attending college or working in other cities in Ecuador.
Every day, Gloria helps her children with their homework after giving them lunch when they return home school.
Gatito perdido (hidden cat).
On the other side of the community, Gladys tends to her garden (huerto), harvesting yucca and other vegetables for dinner for her mother and herself. As another member of Los Ceibos, Gladys balances daily life chores with producing jewelry for the group.
Chancho gordoso (very fat pig).
Nelly, another artisan in Los Ceibos, awaits the arrival of her daughters from high school in Cariamanga. Every Friday, the three girls come by open-air truck to return home for the weekend. One of her daughters, Paula is also a member of Los Ceibos.
Nelly’s home.
Nelly sorts coffee beans purchased at a fair in Cariamanga, with the help of the ubiquitous parrot.
Paula, 14, works on bracelets for sale by Los Ceibos. She has been a member of the group since it began three years ago.
Each bracelet the women produce is sold for US $1, and each takes between 15-20 minutes to make depending on experience and design.
Walking through her garden, Carmen, another artisan, collects herbs and vegetables to make soup, which is often the first plate served for lunch in most homes. The water system in Bella Maria is not constant, so every home has a reserve tank of water for agricultural and cooking use.
Carmen’s mother holds a chivo (goat) while Carmen collects its milk. She uses it to make a drink by heating it and mixing it with panela (raw sugar).
Carmen cooks lunch while her son and mother talk in the family’s traditional kitchen. She also has a kitchen with a modern stove, but she prefers to cook in this kitchen.
Carmen’s husband, Dionicio, returns from working on the community’s water system for lunch at home.
Bella Maria at sunrise.
