ProSynergy is a Peruvian nonprofit organization that I have met, and could be an ideal partner for EPAF’s alpaca project. Here is some background on the group:

Founded in 2007, ProSynergy works in the provinces of Pisco and Huancavelica, Huaytara region. After the earthquake in Pisco that happened August 15, 2007, leaving 519 dead people, ProSynergy supported the reconstruction of forty-eight educational institutions and health facilities programs. Since its existence, it has been involved in various projects.

From 2010 to 2011, ProSynergy implemented and validated programs to improve the quality of education and health services, as well programs for improving the quality of rural life for families in the areas above mentioned. In order to ensure the sustainability of such programs, from 2012, ProSynergy adopted the intervention model based on self-sustainable management social enterprises called Yachaywasis Eco Tecnologicos (YET). YET is where rural families find technical assistance, financial support, and services to implement on their premises a range of productive, social and ecological that allows rural people to live better and longer lives.

For the last four years, ProSynergy began marketing with alpaca wool. ProSynergy has the capacity to train and empower Alpacheros, people who raise alpacas, to develop their own business. In fact, it trained a group of Alpacheros in Pilpichaca, a province of Huyatara, to process the wool, assisted them to receive microcredit, sold them the machines to process the wool, and bought the processed wool from them at a just price. Because ProSynergy knows the market of alpaca wool, and is the manufacturer and the distributor of some of the machines that process the wool, it is a great organization to collaborate with in the alpaca project.

After two meetings with Carlos Guarnizo, the president of ProSynergy, and two meeting with Cristina Blas, an employee of ProSynergy who is a designer, a trainer, and with extensive knowledge and experience in the industry of alpaca wool, they compromised to work and collaborate with EPAF in the following ways:

• Selling and installing the machines that process the wool
• Providing maintenance service to the machines
• Training a group of Alpacheros to use the machines in order to produce high quality yarn
• Buying the yarn at a just price

Carding:

Yarning:

Final product:

Collaborating with ProSynergy is important for three reasons. First, ProSynergy works with rural communities in assisting them towards development. This factor is in line with EPAFs goal, which is to help undeveloped communities to become developed, especially those communities affected by the military conflict. Second, it has been around for nine years, and has been involved in various projects. Third, ProSynergy has currently around thirty employees with the objective to expend. For instance, its future goal is to continue to work with rural communities who grow animals for milk, and use it to make dairy products. Thus, collaborating with ProSynergy has mutual benefits for both NGOs.