Honouring the roots, nurturing the future
At KINTU, we walk with the Andean principle of ayni - sacred reciprocity - a dance of giving and receiving that nurtures balance between people, communities, and Pachamama.
At KINTU, we walk with the Andean principle of ayni - sacred reciprocity - a dance of giving and receiving that nurtures balance between people, communities, and Pachamama.
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.
