What to do with no 2018 Spinzilla for the Bolivian team Warmis Phuskadoras? Spinzillita (“Little Spinzilla”) is the answer! Doña Maxima, who has been the team captain the past 4 years, mentioned in a Skype call to PAZA that the team would like to spin during Spinning Week. The social aspects of Spinzilla Spinning Week are important to the weavers and by participating they have had skeins ready for the dye pots when the dye plants become abundant a few months later during the rainy season. The participants who spin but no longer weave have yarn to sell, which PAZA and the producing weavers snap up.

Going through the annual routine of registering the participants, spinning during Spinzilla Week, having photo day in Huancarani, and measuring the results is an excellent learning opportunity for all involved. It will be Doña Maxima´s first opportunity to be 100% in charge without PAZA´s direct influence. The rural spinners are all famers and because Spinning Week falls during a lull in the agricultural calendar they are in the habit of happily dedicating the week to spinning and socializing.

PAZA has estimated a budget of $400 for the local event, which includes 2 trips to Huancarani, extra wages, a trip to Cochabamba for Doña Maxima, and the annual prize for each participant. The budget for the annual prize will be between $3 and $5 per participant and one suggestion was for a mesh shopping bag. The prize is important as tangible recognition of the participants´ spinning skill and a reward for participating.

PAZA is working on securing a sponsor for Spinzilla 2019, who will be able to send a representative to Independencia with Dorinda for 2019 Spinning Week. Spinzilla would feel more “international” to the weavers if they could meet and interact with their TNNA sponsor. There has to be a TNNA member out there whose sponsorship of the Bolivian team will enhance their business while speaking to its mission and values.

Thanks, yet again, to Laverne Waddington who mentioned the weavings for sale on her blog, they literally flew out the door. All that is left in the U.S. inventory are more than 50 of the yoga mat straps and a few belts and guitar straps. Over half of the sales funds received were returned to Bolivia yesterday along with the next weaving order. Getting the weavings from Bolivia to Bozeman is a work in progress, but hopefully something will work out in time for holiday shopping. There will be another weaving order placed in January to ensure that the weavers have money to purchase school supplies when the academic year begins in February.

Doña Maxima continues to work on Tuesdays and Thursdays as the trainer for the Club de Artesanas. She has taught 2 young mothers in the neighborhood to weave. The Club members have been trying to draw locals into the PAZA store/workshop to purchase the bags made from cloth and backpack material they have been sewing to sell. They haven´t received many customers, but there is interest in the backpack design Vilma sewed and that her 8 year old daughter is carrying to school.

PAZA sent funds yesterday for the Club to purchase backpack material and sewing supplies so the women can sew and test designs. PAZA will continue to support the project for production of a few backpack designs for the next school year. The abysmal quality of the “made in China” children’s backpacks sold at the vendor stalls during market day is a crime against the mothers who are so challenged in finding the cash to pay for school supplies. There should be a local market for quality locally made backpacks and pencil bags created by the Club mothers with their and their children´s needs in mind.

PAZA has done no fundraising for activities since early in the year because of the transition of turning all management of the activities over to Doña Maxima. She is doing admirably. The Club activities continue and she´s organizing for Spinzillita with the rural weavers. She is preparing to manage the 2^nd weaving order entirely on her own, which means she has nobody to fall back on if a weaving must be rejected due to inferior quality. PAZA activities average about $200 a month and the upcoming Spinzillita is budgeted at $400. PAZA activities in Independencia continue to move forward and the time has come to ask for financial assistance, please consider making a donation. Thank you. Dorinda Dutcher, July 31, 2018