Mirasol School

The love for the fantastic alpaca yarn brought entrepreneurs Kari Hestnes and Per Svendsen to Peru in 2005. They fell in love with the beautiful, wild, and inhospitable mountain landscape where the alpaca herds graze.

But they also saw the extreme poverty the children lived in. The idea of a school for poor shepherd children in the Peruvian highlands took shape, and in 2006 the foundation stone was laid.

For us here at home, alpaca yarn is pure luxury. Some think it’s far too luxurious and far too expensive. We don’t think so. We believe it’s amazing to be able to bring alpaca yarn home from the other side of the globe, and then give back to the poor local communities.

Every time you buy a skein of alpaca yarn from Du Store Alpakka, a part of the amount goes back to those who make it possible for us to knit with this incredibly beautiful yarn with such fantastic qualities.

Schooling is a luxury that few children in the harsh Andes mountains have access to. The weather is challenging, the road is often long, and it’s impossible to get to and from school every day.

That’s why the Mirasol School is a boarding school where the children receive free school supplies, nutritious food, clothing, and care from skilled and dedicated teachers. There, the children learn to read, write, and do math; they learn about their own culture and their people’s proud history. The hope and opportunity for a better future are established.

For every kilo of yarn from Du Store Alpakka, one dollar goes to the operation of the Mirasol School, which is now supported by yarn enthusiasts and knitters all over the world. The school means that the children truly have a future, and they are no longer bound to the same poverty and illiteracy as the generations before them.

Thank you for helping us help!

In 2012, the founders sold Du Store Alpakka to House of Yarn. Since then, the support for the school has increased, and the charitable work continues and evolves.

Thank you for helping us help!

In 2012, the founders sold Du Store Alpakka to House of Yarn. Since then, the support for the school has increased, and the charitable work continues and evolves.