Neri Auccapoma Oquiche specialises in crocheted silver, and produces some of the finest examples we've seen anywhere. With the help of Just Trade, Neri has developed her talent for jewellery making and design, and made major improvements to her whole family's lives and prospects.

With the money Neri earns producing jewellery for Just Trade, she has been able to pay off an outstanding debt, and save enough to buy a brand new prefabricated house, replacing the dilapidated plywood and cardboard structure she lived in before. And because she can now produce the jewellery at home, she has more time for her children, Luz Milagros (20), Junior (17) and Rosario Brigitty (9). With Neri's support, Luz is now studying to become a teacher, and Junior is training to be a chef.

Things were not always this good for Neri. When she joined the project in 2000, she was withdrawn and shy. She had been working six days a week in her brother's factory, enduring cramped, dark conditions for twelve hours a day. There she was paid well below the local minimum wage, earning the equivalent of just five pence for every piece of hand-crafted jewellery.

"When I worked in the factory, I would leave the house at 7am, not returning until 10pm, and my children were alone all day," says Neri. "Now that I have the workshop in my home, I can be here for them, as well as earning the money for their education."

Just Trade guarantees the women from Zoe a minimum monthly order, and ensures they are paid in excess of the local minimum hourly wage. Working for a fair wage and being fully involved in the creative process has boosted Neri's self esteem. "I love working with my hands and developing my own designs," she says. Neri now teaches other women new skills and leads the local workshop.

To support Neri and other workers at Just Trade, visit the Fair Trade section in our online Shop.

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