Month: August 2015

Today we look at how the women were caught for drug trafficking and their initial contact with the police, in our mini series- Quotes from the Women. If you are new to this series, check out our past week’s topics on why and how the women became involved in drug trafficking.

Interview Questions: What happened when you were caught?

“It was my first time. I was caught by a drug operative. I had taken my car to go to San Francisco, I had been there because the following day was a holiday and so I had brought clothes there to sell and before I left I met up with a man who told me take this package to this place and you will get paid, but you only have to take it to this place and it will be very easy money. So I believed him and put the package inside the suitcases that held my clothes. And a drug operative found it and they took me right away to the police station, where I spent 15 days. They held me there while they investigated me, to see if I had been out of Peru, if I had done it before. [I was searched] because I was nervous, they opened the bags and looked through them and found 4 kilos of cocaine. Well, actually they found 10 kilos but they took 6 and left me with 4 kilos, then arrested me for having 4 kilos. It would have been much more time [if it had been 10 kilos].” 

“I took a car, like a taxi after the bus but the driver of the taxi, brought me to the police, he turned me in because I carried a bag and he put the bag in the car. I had put the bag with the drugs in my suitcase and when he grabbed it he felt that it was heavy and that it wasn’t just a suitcase full of clothes and he took me to the police station. They held me there in Calabozo for 3 days and then they brought me to Acalidinandro in Ayacucho, and they brought me here to Yanamilla, where I have been for the last 8 years.”

“I was in a car when they caught me, I had the drugs on my body, 3 kilos. A man was driving the car, I didn’t know him, and the police stopped it.” 

“I had planned with my mom to come back from trafficking on Father’s Day. I left the location and the police stopped me in an instant, found the drugs in my suitcase and brought me here. [It was] 27 kilos.”

“[My husband] had the drugs in the car, in the inlet and since I was inexperienced I got into the car, here in Ayacucho, and the car got stopped by an operative and they found the drugs. [I was with my husband] for 2 years and he had already been incarcerated in Cusco [for trafficking drugs]. It was my first time getting into the car with him when there were drugs in it.” 

Ana demonstrates silkscreening on fabric

We began the day with a big run around with the camera. Of course, the Director of Security was not in his office when we arrived, and, after waiting for 30 minutes, we went to the sub-Director to plead for my camera (which was left at the door). The sub-Director called the Director, who told him I only had permission for one day. He seemed to conveniently forget our discussion where he granted me permission for two days and the only evidence of this was locked away in Director of Security’s office. Ah! The prison. 

After much bargaining (okay, pleading) we managed to get the prison to agree that we could take pictures of the process and that we could be the photographers rather than a guard. The catch? A guard was required to accompany us the entire time, which was fine for us, but I did feel bad for the guard who ended up staying with us for 2 1/2 hours, learning how to silkscreen. At least he got empanadas in the end!

Mixing Ink

Onward with the class! Ana began the class with a review of the theories learned yesterday and the women finished their homework- which was to draw and cut out a two-color design for today. Yesterday, the black ink got too thick and wouldn’t pass through the frames, so today Ana showed the women how to thin the ink, what the ideal consistency of the ink should be, and how to mix colors to create varying tones. 

After a brief demonstration on how to print on fabric the fun part began! The women started printing their own designs on the fabric and going through the process of layering colors. The designs that the women created were simple yet beautiful. Each person had a unique take on the design process which allowed individuality to shine. 

Printing!

 My favorite part of the class was watching the women pull their fabric off the screens and have the first look at their designs printed on fabric. The look was a mixture of delight, pride, and wonder and conveys how important these classes are for the women. Yes, the classes teach practical skills, but they also play an important role in boosting the women’s self-confidence and self worth. 

There is something immeasurable in the feeling of “I did it.” It is the thing that reminds us of our potential as human beings and our capacity to grow. Especially in a place like the prison, where very little changes day to day, these tiny moments are more meaningful than simply earning money. They are a reminder. A reminder of capability. A reminder of change. A reminder of the incredible potential within.  

Showing off the finished design

Printing on paper

Today we started out silkscreening class (serigrafía in Spanish, my new favorite word) with our guest instructor, Ana, from Lima!  The women have been eager for this class, largely because it is so different than anything we have done before and there are a lot of practical applications for the technique (more on this later). 

We arrived at the prison carting 2 suitcases and a backpack full of materials for the class. It looked like we were moving in! I’ve never taken this much material into the prison and, although I had permission for everything in the suitcase, I was still a bit nervous about what the guards would say. Beside having to open the suitcases 3 times, it was smooth sailing, and we started the class right on time with everything in tow. 

Ana began the class with a brief overview of the process and showed the women a t-shirt she had printed with a multi-color manta flower on it. This gave the women a sense of what they could do with the technique and elicited an excited buzz. Ana gave them a few more examples of the ways they could use silkscreening, such as for apparel, manta embroidery designs, posters, and cards. Most importantly, though, she explained how silkscreening can greatly speed up and standardize the production process for an item. 

Next the women were invited to cut out basic shapes (hearts, circles, triangles, etc.) to print on paper. This would act as their stencil. Each woman had a turn printing their shapes on a piece of paper, allowing them get a feel for applying the right amount of pressure and ink. It was an exciting moment as the women watched as their shapes transformed to sold prints on the paper! 

Esther shows off her stencil

Although Ana intended on keeping the first shapes simple, the women’s creativity and enthusiasm couldn’t be contained and they began drawing and cutting out more complex shapes: stars and moons, flowers, bears, decorative hearts, and lettering, such as “Te Amo”. They picked up the logic of negative and positive space quickly and there were stencils abound!

While the women took turns printing, I walked around and asked them how they liked the techniques. They all loved it and told me their ideas for how they would use it. For example, one women said she wanted to stamp table cloths, while another mentioned using it on tshirts. Another told me that she had learned a more complicated printing techniques before she was incarcerated. She said, “This is so much better because it is more practical. You don’t machines or lots of materials to get started. It’s much easier.” 

I was also thrilled to see that the three women who are planning to start a clothing business are in the class. They were excitedly chatting away, come up with ways they could incorporate silk screening into their business. Seeing the theoretical of the class translated into a concrete way to make money was wonderful. 

The class concluded with a homework assignment: each woman needed to make a stencil for tomorrow with 2 color overlays. Additionally, Ana gave each of the women their own silkscreen frame, ink scrapper, plastic spatula, scissors, and double sided pencils. Now, they have everything they need to get started and tomorrow will begin printing on fabric and tshirts, as well as working with multiple colors. 

Also, I’m bringing my camera to the prison tomorrow- fingers crossed that we will have photos of the process! 

Morning hot chocolate made by the women

Laying the foundation for Kori: name, vision and mission