Announcement from the Executive Director and UK Director regarding COVID-19

Rodrigo Bustos

Executive Director

The arrival of COVID-19 was very unexpected. Rapidly, our day-to-day routines were threatened and we had to follow new preventative measures to ensure our own health and of the people around us.

When different news pieces began to report the spread of COVID-19 in the Northern hemisphere, Peru began to prepare. The rapid expansion of the virus made it clear that its arrival to Latin America was inevitable and, given the limitations of our national health system, the Peruvian Government decided to increase all preventative measures even before COVID-19 cases were reported in the country.

At Amantani, our team in Cusco spoke with our young people about this new virus and how it affected people’s health. It also reinforced the importance of maintaining good hygiene, aligning with the suggestions made by the World Health Organisation.

On March 16th, the President of Peru, Martin Vizcarra, imposed a national quarantine for 15 days (which was later on extended to 27 days.) As soon as he delivered the news, our team in Lima and Cusco talked to our young people to determine if they were going to stay in the city or if they preferred to go back to their communities and quarantine with their families. Around 70% of our young people went back to their communities and the team started monitoring their needs, as well as their families’, remotely. The team also communicated with the artisans and discussed the impacts that this situation would have on the Ethical Trade programme and which internal actions would be taken to ensure both their physical and economic well-being. Regarding our team in Lima, we implemented a home office policy.  

I regularly communicate with the members of the Board in the UK, where the virus is currently at a more advanced stage of its spread. Alongside the Board, we have evaluated several scenarios that allow us to continue taking the necessary actions to ensure that our young people will be able to keep studying once the quarantine is over. Likewise, we are evaluating the best ways to support our young people to continue their studies virtually from their communities, in case the quarantine were to be extended. In such a situation, Amantani would be facing the challenge of overcoming the digital gap between the cities and rural communities of the country, and would have to provide the necessary facilities for our young people to study from their communities. On the other hand, regarding the Ethical Trade programme, we are evaluating new ways to continue supporting the artisans, who now have a reduced monthly income given the decrease in the production of bracelets as a response to a drop in the market demand.

I want to take this opportunity to thank all the corporations, foundations and individual donors who have been helping us throughout the years. It’s thanks to their constant support that we now can face this health emergency and be confident that we can support our young people, artisans and team in the best way possible.

From Amantani, we are committed to continue to ensure the wellbeing of our artisans, young people and team in Lima, Cusco and in the UK. In this moment in which life has showed us the importance of having optimal health, we urge you all to stay safe and to keep taking the necessary precautions in order to protect yourselves and the communities you live in.

Rodrigo Bustos
Executive Director

Chris Palfreyman

UK Director

First of all, my thoughts go out to you all. This is a very difficult time for everyone and I sincerely hope that you and those around you are safe and sound!

As we all know, COVID-19 has put an enormous amount of stress on every sector of society and unfortunately the Charity Sector is no exception. In being a relatively small charity relying on the generosity of individuals, Trusts and Corporates, Amantani is facing the ultimate test.

Of course, it is still very early days as the virus continues to spread globally, but we are confident our organisation can ride out this turbulent wave. Behind the scenes I have been regularly meeting with Rodrigo (Exec. Director), David (Head of Finance), Jonathan (Chair) and our Trustees to analyse the potential impact and plan for the coming months.

As difficult as the situation is, one underlying fact that has emerged is that Amantani is in a robust position to adapt and cope with the current stresses thanks to the continuous forward planning and the incredible generosity our supporters have offered over the past few years. Thanks to this generosity, we have been able to build a financial reserve which is only used during times of emergency. It has taken us years of hard work to build this robustness, but 2020 has already shown us how important such a policy is!

So, for now I want to thank you all for your loyal support and trust in our work. We are striving to make sure each and every young person enrolled in our programmes still gets the opportunity to study and flourish as individuals. This is what motivates our devoted team in Peru and I can assure you that every decision we make is driven by the young peoples’ futures.

As positive news is thin and far between at the moment in the media, we hope that as you read this, you feel proud, reassured and positive that the young people in Ccorca, Huanoquite and Cusco are doing well and that as an organisation we are feeling ready to tackle to tough months ahead. This is thanks to you. Never more have I meant these words; THANK YOU!"

Chris Palfreyman
UK Director