Pemena

Okay, so let's pretend that you really want to drink some orange juice, but you don't have any. You live next to a grocery store, but you're not allowed to go there by yourself because you're too young. So, you ask your mom to go buy some orange juice for you.

Now, when your mom goes to the store, she has to give the cashier money to pay for the orange juice. In exchange, the cashier gives her the orange juice that she can bring back home to you.

That process of giving money and receiving something else in exchange is called a transaction.

"Pemena" means transaction in a language called Quechua. People who live in the Andes mountains of South America, where Quechua is spoken, have been using a special type of transaction system for hundreds of years.

Instead of money, they use something called "ayni." Ayni is a Quechua word that means "reciprocity" or "mutual help." It is a way for people to help each other without expecting anything in return right away.

So, let's say that your mom wants to buy some potatoes from your neighbor who grows them in their backyard. Instead of giving them money, your mom might offer to help them with some gardening or cooking in the future.

That way, your neighbor gets the help they need, and your mom doesn't have to spend money on potatoes. And if your mom needs help in the future, she can ask her neighbor for help too. It's like a cycle of kindness and mutual support.

This type of transaction system is called "pemena" in Quechua because it's all about giving and receiving in a respectful and equitable way. It's not about making a profit or getting the best deal possible.

So, pemena is a really cool way of doing business that values relationships and community over money. And it reminds us that we can all help each other, whether we have a lot of money or not.