Ayni facts for kids

Ayni (pronounced eye-nee) is a special idea from the Andes Mountains in South America. It's a way of life for people like the Quechua and Aymara communities. Ayni means helping each other out and giving back. It's about being fair and connected.

This idea can be seen in two ways:

• As a concept (a big idea): Ayni teaches that everything in the world is linked together. It's like a rule for daily life in many communities, such as the Q'ero people.
• As a practice (how people act): Ayni is when people in a community work together. If someone helps you, you are expected to help them back later.

Many groups, including the Quechuas and Aymara, use Ayni in their lives. They live in countries like Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia.

What Ayni Means: A Big Idea

In places like the Q'ero communities, people live by five main ideas. These are munay (to love), yachay (to learn and remember), llan'kay (to work), kawsay (life), and ayni (helping each other).

Ayni is seen as the most important of these ideas. It's like the main support for their way of life. This is because Ayni is more than just getting paid back for help. It's about how humans, nature, and the whole universe share energy.

For example, think about a human and a tree. A person waters a tree. The tree uses this water to make oxygen for us to breathe. It also makes sugar, which can become fruit that humans eat. In return, humans breathe out carbon dioxide, which the tree uses. We also plant seeds from the tree to grow more trees. Even just watering a tree can bring many good things. It can create shade, block wind, and hold soil in place. So, Ayni is about any helpful connection between two parts.

How Ayni Works: Helping Each Other

People in Quechua and Aymara communities use Ayni by helping each other directly. This way of living likely started because the Andean mountains have a tough climate. People needed to work together to survive there.

When someone needs help with a project, like building a house or planting crops, others in the community will join in. The person being helped provides food and drinks for those who are assisting. Later, the person who received help will return the favor. They will help those who helped them, or other people in the community who need support. This completes the cycle of Ayni.

It's important not to confuse Ayni with Mink'a. Mink'a is another type of community work in the Andes. But in Mink'a, people usually get paid for their work, like harvesting crops. Ayni is different because it's about returning a favor, not getting paid.

Similar Ways of Helping

Around the world, there are many ideas that are similar to Ayni. While none are exactly the same, they all involve people helping each other in some way.

• Barn raising (North America): People come together to build a barn for a neighbor.
• Bayanihan (Philippines): A community helps someone move their house or helps in times of need.
• Bee (North America, Australia): A group gathers to do a specific task, like a quilting bee or a husking bee.
• Dugnad (Norway): People volunteer to work together for a common goal, often for their local community.
• Gadugi (Cherokee): A Cherokee word meaning "working together."
• Kaláka (Hungary): A form of mutual help, especially in farming.
• Gotong-royong (Indonesia, Malaysia): Working together to achieve a common goal.
• Harambee (Kenya): A Swahili word meaning "pulling together," used for self-help efforts.
• Imece (Turkey): A tradition of villagers helping each other.
• Meitheal (Ireland): Neighbors helping each other with farm work.
• Mink'a (Andean): Community work where participants are often paid or compensated.
• Moba (Serbia): A tradition of collective work, often for agricultural tasks.
• Naffir (Sudan): A call for help, usually for farming or building.
• Talkoot (Finland): Voluntary work where people gather to help with a task.

See also

In Spanish: Ayni para niños