‘Seed’ micro-enterprises in the heart of the jungle

In Pastaza, an Amazon province, women are the artisans of the communities. The ancient knowledge of necklace making is passed down from generation to generation.

Nemonte Nihua lives in the heart of the jungle, in the Kiwaro community, a two-day boat trip away from Puyo. “Since we were girls we learned to make handicrafts,” she says.

This activity is practiced by all the women of the different nationalities and indigenous peoples of the Amazon and the highlands. In the Amazon, they do it with the seeds they grow in their orchards or get them deep in the jungle.

The seeds are left in the store of the Waorani Women’s Association of the Ecuadorian Amazon. In the Waorani community, women are permanently trained to create new designs. Guaikamo Tañi, the leader of this community, says that women take care of household chores; at present, they are venturing into micro-enterprises. (I)