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Peru: Out of the Kitchen,
Into the Classroom
For several generations of indigenous Peruvian women, being a housemaid for a wealthy family in the city seemed like a step up from their agrarian lifestyles. As servants, they had electricity, running water, and a consistent, reliable food supply. But there were problems: working long hours at menial domestic tasks was a virtual prison for many women, while some experienced abuse at the hands of their employers.
The current generation of women and girls in Jach’a
Titilka — a small community of farmers and potters on the high
plains of southern Peru — is making different choices. Now that
there is a school near the community, girls are getting educated
and going on to take semi-professional jobs. These changes
caught the attention of Kat Wheeler ’06.
Wheeler was a liberal arts and sciences major, specializing in communities in development. Working with and studying indigenous people has always intrigued her. Her venture grant allowed her to travel twice to Jach’a Titilka to conduct research for her senior thesis on the shift from domestic labor to education among women and girls there. On her first trip, she spent six weeks in the community, getting comfortable and establishing relationships with the women and girls, especially her key informants. The second trip was spent interviewing the women extensively about their experiences, as well as their hopes and aspirations for the younger generation.
Wheeler is grateful for the opportunity to have lived with and studied the women of Jach’a Titilka and would like to continue her research after graduation.