The Artisans of Cochabamba

Many people from the western highlands of Bolivia move to Cochabamba, Bolivia's third largest city, attracted by the temperate climate and perceived economic opportunity. However, Cochabamba, like other urban centers in Bolivia, is a city of extreme contrasts between rich and poor. The rural poor who migrate without a support network, adequate education, or job prospects, end up living in impoverished conditions on the outskirts of the city. From this community, Comunidad Wiñay employs nearly 30 women full time and up to 100 women seasonally, enabling them to generate the income necessary to support their families.

Artisan Voices

Maria Elena Apaza, artisan and mother of four: Apaza has worked with Comunidad Wiñay since 1985. Prior to joining the group, she had very little control over the finances of the family. Now she manages the household with the income she receives from her craft work. With the encouragement she has received from Comunidad Wiñay, she may even consider having her own workshop to provide work for her daughters. As Comunidad Wiñay founder Dora Vargas points out, “The more women in the community that can support their families through this artisan enterprise, the better.”

Ceramic Art

Ceramic art in the Andes has an ancient history; archaeologists have uncovered ceramic artifacts up to 9,000 years old. The artisans of Cochabamba still employ many of the methods used by their ancestors. The beautiful ceramic pieces created by Comunidad Wiñay artisans are also expressions of each artist's unique style and personality. Made entirely of clay, the farm animals that this artisan group is best known for are carefully designed, sculpted, and hand-painted with dedicated attention to detail. Product designs are chosen by vote at the cooperative's council meetings.

Region: South America

Capital: Sucre (constitutional); La Paz (administrative)

Population: 9,947,418 (2010)

Size: Slightly less than three times the size of Montana

Languages: Spanish (61%), Quechua (21%), Aymara (15%)

Major religion(s): Roman Catholic, Protestant

Literacy rate: Total 87%; Men 93%; Women 81% 

Education: Free and mandatory primary school education; schools are most often taught in Spanish, making it hard for indigenous children to move beyond the elementary school level

Primary school enrollment rate: 95%, though secondary enrollment drops to 74%; children in rural areas complete 4.2 years of school on average, while urban children complete 9.4

Poverty rate: 60% of the population lives below the poverty line

Did You Know: Aymara women in Bolivia have worn miniature bowler hats (which they call "bombins") since the 1920s, when a shipment of the then-European fashion staples were discovered to be too small for the European workers for whom they were originally intended!

All statistics from CIA World Factbook 2010

Landlocked and isolated by its location in the Andes Mountains, Bolivia has one of the lowest standards of living in South America. Named after liberation revolutionary Simon Bolivar, it has suffered through over 190 failed governments since its independence from Spain in 1825. Economic inequality has increased racial tensions between those of European descent and the impoverished mestizos and indigenous peoples who make up over 80% of the population.

Indigenous Poverty

In 2005, Bolivia elected its first indigenous president, Evo Morales, who promised to bring social justice to Bolivia and end discrimination. Morales, who was re-elected in 2009, has implemented several controversial legislative policies aiming to give greater rights to indigenous groups. Nonetheless, his people continue to face great poverty. Most of the indigenous population lives in isolated rural areas, with little access to basic services such as health care or education. In the cities, they often meet with racism. Many speak languages other than Spanish, making it difficult to attend school and obtain higher paying skilled jobs. Thus, most indigenous Bolivians continue to work as subsistence farmers, traders, artisans, or miners, jobs that currently pay very little and offer little opportunity for advancement.

War on Drugs

In addition to facing discrimination and a lack of economic opportunity, indigenous Bolivians have found themselves caught in the middle of the war on drugs. Bolivia is the third largest producer of coca in the world. Coca can be consumed legally in Bolivia to cure headaches and curb hunger, or for use in religious ceremonies, but the plant is also used to make cocaine. To stop cocaine production and drug trafficking, Bolivia has been pressured by governments from around the world to destroy its coca farms. Many indigenous groups have refused to stop growing the plant because it is part of their heritage and one of their most lucrative sources of income. In response to their concerns, President Morales, a former coca union leader, has promised to permit coca cultivation while standing firm against cocaine production. In some areas of the country, organizations are assisting communities with the transition away from coca production by providing work alternatives such as the production of artisan goods.

For a great overview of the situation in Bolivia, check out this video interview with the Washington Office on Latin America and the Institute for Policy Studies.