In 2024, ATA donors funded a pilot project focused on school youth in and near the small village of Maragua, in south-central Bolivia, once an important center for Jalq’a textile arts. Like many rural communities, Maragua’s young people have been migrating to the cities in search of work. This, among other issues, has caused a decline in the region’s traditional textile arts.
We expected the pilot project, conducted by Bolivian nonprofit ASUR (Antropólogos del Sur Andinao), to be a first step to reviving the area’s endangered ancestral weaving practices. What we didn’t anticipate was the enthusiasm the project ignited throughout the community.
To build on this renewed pride in Jalq’a weaving culture, ATA provided another donor-supported grant to ASUR in 2025 to continue their work in Maragua. This year’s program increased the number of participants to accommodate growing interest among students who want to experience Jalq’a culture through spinning, tapestry, and traditional pallay weaving. (Pallay refers to the process of backstrap weaving and the motifs used in the patterns.) The project also currently employs five local Indigenous teachers, providing another source of income to community members.
The work ASUR is doing in Maragua is an example of the importance today’s youth plays in keeping traditional textile practices alive and progressing. And, because of your support of ASUR’s work, young people have a chance long-term for an alternative, textile-related career path where they can earn income without having to leave their communities.
