Holiday Gifts that Give Back
This holiday season, we invite you to consider a gift that gives back.The Women’s Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN) International and We Play Well Together are honored to partner with the Kichwa women of Sarayaku in the Amazon rainforest in Ecuador. We're deeply humbled to be supporting this group by importing and selling their beautiful beaded jewelry on our website. We Play Well Together has donated funds to purchase the first round of artwork from the Sarayaku Women in addition to donating website and logistical support to send them to you.All profits from your purchases will directly support the livelihood of the craftswomen, and their advocacy work to protect the forest through Amazon Women Defenders of the Jungle (Mujeres Amazonicas Defensoras).
The Sarayaku Art Project:
Protecting the Rainforest and a Way of Life by uplifting Women in Ecuadorian Amazon
The Sarayaku are Kichwa-speaking people of approximately 1,400 inhabitants who live in a village made up of 7 community centers in the rain forest of the southern Amazon in the province of Pastaza, Ecuador.
They have struggled for over two decades to protect their villages, the forest, and their way of life after the government of Ecuador granted the oil company Compañía General de Combustibles (CGC) license for oil operations in Sarayaku territory. To survey for oil, the CGC planted explosives throughout the forests, sparking protests from the villagers. When the community protested peacefully, setting up "Camps of Peace and Life" in the forest, the government sent armed troops.
The struggle continued for years. Then the Sarayaku brought a case against the Ecuadorian government to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, and the court ruled in their favor in 2012. The IACHR ruling was an extraordinary victory, not only for the Sarayaku but for the rights of all Indigenous communities in the Amazon facing similar threats. (You can learn more by watching this 2012 film Children of the Jaguar.)
Natural Local Seeds - Handmade Jewelry
One-of-a-kind lovely intricate necklaces are made with a variety of beads of locally gathered Amazon seeds all feature stunning designs and ingenuity. This is a unique handcrafted gift and the receiver will be the owner of a true original.
Shop Seed Bead Jewelry Collection
Colorful Small Beads - Handmade Jewelry
This collection includes bracelets, earrings, and necklaces entirely made of small colorful beads. Each one is uniquely beautiful and carefully crafted by the Kichwa women of Sarayaku in the Amazon rainforest of Ecuador.
Shop Small Bead Jewelry Collection
One-of-a-Kind Clay Bowls - Handmade Pottery
View these enchanting earth clay bowls with handmade glazes of varying motifs and designs. Each bowl has cultural significance to the Amazon women that make them. They're delicately painted with great care, skill, and creativity. (only a few items left!)
Thanks so much for supporting women and the planet. These and other items are also available year-round at our sister website: littleworldwonder.com
