“Yaas” : Le talent d’Awajún pour surmonter les difficultés
Les jeunes étudiants indigènes sont les futurs leaders de l’Amazonie. Cependant, ils sont confrontés à de nombreux obstacles, qu’il s’agisse de devoir s’adapter à une culture différente,
Young indigenous students are the future leaders of the Amazon. However, they face many obstacles, from having to adapt to a different culture, far from their families and communities, to the daily discrimination and racism prevalent in our society. Nevertheless, despite these difficulties, there are stories that demonstrate the potential, resilience and creativity of many of these young students.
In this first edition of #storiesofindigenousyouth, we tell you about Felicino, an indigenous Awajún student. Felicino has found traditional craftsmanship a way of overcoming economic difficulties, making new friends and gaining the support of his classmates.
Felicino (far right) is currently in his final year of studies to become a nurse. At the same time, he also manages “Yaas”.
Felicino is 32 years old and hails from the Yutupis community in the Condorcanqui province of Peru’s Amazonas region. He is currently in his final year of studies to become a nurse. Although he appears to be a shy, soft-spoken young man, he is the founder of“Yaas” – a business that has become his passion. “I’m currently here because of my studies, but I’m not just dedicated to my studies. I also run a small business, making earrings and necklaces, according to my culture”. For the Awajun people, craftsmanship is part of their culture. “This huayruro necklace is worn by courageous mothers, women who lead protests. It is normally worn by leaders. Men wear it too”.
His story is not unlike that of many other indigenous university students living in our noisy city of Iquitos: realizing his dream of finishing higher education to help his family back home in his community. Although being part of OEPIAP(Organization of Indigenous Students of the Peruvian Amazon) helps him cover some basic needs, there are additional expenses related to his studies and transportation that are difficult for him to cover.
In Awajún culture, necklaces are worn by men and women who are leaders .
“I didn’t want to wait for my siblings and relatives to send me something, did I?” he says as he begins to tell the story of how he began his entrepreneurship. “A friend of mine was selling earrings, bracelets, everything, and I saw she was making some money. So I started doing it too, because I needed it.” So he and another fellow Awajún decided to found“Yaas“, a name Felicino chose as it refers to an Amazonian fruit called “caimito”, known to be a favorite of Awajún women when pregnant. Like the fruit, Felicino and his partner hoped that all women would also love their craft.
He learned from his mother and by watching YouTube videos on traditional crafts, and it has since become his passion. “In the beginning, I made all the handicrafts myself. I worked from 6 or 7 in the morning until 2 in the morning. I loved it so much that I wasn’t sleepy at all. Today, he has the support of four other students from Awajún who have also managed to generate a small secondary income from this activity. Euner, a student in international trade and tourism, has supported Yass’ presence and growth on social media.
Felicino’s dream is to see his handicrafts sold in stores, and he’s full of hope for his business. “I don’t have a lot of savings. I’m working, but I feel I’m developing. My business is growing. I used to have just a little, but now I have more. I also make a lot of necklaces. I would like to have a store… I’d like to have a store and say I sell Awajún necklaces“.
We’re convinced of the enormous potential of these young students, and we’re confident that with their hard work and effort, they’ll continue to develop.
Felicino has the support of other Awajún students who have also managed to generate a small secondary income from this activity.
We believe in intercultural education as a means of creating an inclusive, diverse and equitable society that honors and celebrates the cultures and identities that make it up. Since 2014, we have been working in partnership with OEPIAP promoting interculturality in the education system, providing support to improve access to higher education and healthy basic living conditions for indigenous students in the city of Iquitos.
We invite you to follow Yass on Facebook and Instagram to support this entrepreneurial story.
Link to original article: https://chaikuni.org/news/yaas-awajun-talent-to-overcome-difficulties-part-i
Les jeunes étudiants indigènes sont les futurs leaders de l’Amazonie. Cependant, ils sont confrontés à de nombreux obstacles, qu’il s’agisse de devoir s’adapter à une culture différente,
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