Joven Canadiense ayuda Peruanos a traves del Internet

Designing for a good cause
Student helping to design website for Peru weavers

Posted By JENNY POTTER, THE NUGGET
Updated 1 day ago

Jeff Kielman is taking his design skills to a new level and another world.
The 23-year-old design student is taking his knowledge of multimedia design and using it to help weavers in rural Peru sell their goods online.
In two weeks, Kielman will fly to South America with 10 other students from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (NSCAD.)With the help of a translator, they will learn the process the villagers use to make textiles and document it through photographs, video and text that will go into the multimedia site.
Right now they take their goods into the city and sell it to a man who sells it to North America," said Kielman. This way they can eliminate the middle man and get fair trade for their work."
Kielman said the majority of weavers are women and children, be-cause most men work in the city. The women make blankets, hats and shawls by weaving wool from alpacas, sheep and llamas. The tradition of weaving is passed down to children at a young age.
They are trying to keep their textile tradition alive and well," said Kielman. Not only are the students helping to create a direct source of income for the villagers they are preserving and sharing their culture with the world.
This is Kielman's first time on a trip like this. After three years in Canadore's design program and two years at NSCAD, Kielman knew he wanted to use his skills for more than corporate work.
Inspired by an instructor, Kielman and his classmates wanted to do something more meaningful.
Why just make posters for a cause when we can do something huge," he said.
Kielman and other students have been preparing for the trip by practising the language, though they will have a translator because in remote areas, a mix of Spanish and Incan languages are often spoken.
The students also have been doing research and creating prototypes of the web page. One of their textile instructors travelled in Peru and showed them pictures, giving them an idea of what to expect.

Kielman sees this trip not just as a cause, but a continuing commitment. Once the students have created the site, workers from a non-government organization will teach the villagers to operate it and sell their works.
Kielman wants to continue using his design skills to help charities and hopes this trip will give him some experience and memories.
I had never really thought about using my design skills to do something like this," he said.