Honouring the roots, nurturing the future
Inspired by the global movement 1% for the Planet, we’ve woven our own thread of reciprocity into the fabric of KINTU. Rather than accumulating for the sake of growth, we believe in circulating energy - giving back to the roots that nourish us all. That’s why we are committed to contributing a portion of our sales to Indigenous-led initiatives that preserve, protect, and carry forward ancestral wisdom. At KINTU, we walk with the Andean principle of ayni - sacred reciprocity - a living agreement of mutual care that nurtures balance between people, communities, and Pachamama herself.
In 2024, we were honoured to support a family in El Encuentro, Quillabamba (Peru), who cultivate coca leaves using traditional methods passed down through generations. The k’intu - the three-leaf coca offering - carries profound cultural and spiritual meaning across the Andes, and felt like the perfect place to begin. This family grows organically and continues the ceremonial practice of Kuka Saruy - gently stepping on the leaves with bare feet after harvest, a ritual that helps dry the leaves while offering prayers of gratitude to the spirit of the plant. Guided by a 79-year-old elder, they share this ancestral knowledge with those ready to remember.
Each year, we will select a new initiative to support - always Indigenous-led, and always rooted in care for land, culture, and community. With every purchase, a part of what is received returns to the source - a quiet offering, in honour of the many hands, hearts, and lineages that make KINTU possible.
Thank you for walking this path with us - in beauty, in reverence, and in reciprocity.