Support native artisans & rainforest in the Amazon

This month, we want to share with you the lessons, challenges, and achievements that emerged from two very different—but deeply complementary—workshops carried out with Amazonian artisans. One focused on strengthening technical leadership skills; the other opened new doors for an emerging artisan association just beginning to dream of reaching wider markets.

 Artisan Facilitator Workshop – Tambo Minga, Nauta (September 22–25)

This workshop brought together 33 artisans from different communities across the Ampiyacu, Marañón, Tahuayo, and Napo river basins. Many already knew each other from previous trainings, so from the very first day there was a sense of trust, familiarity, and teamwork. The goal was clear: strengthen their ability to teach, work collaboratively, analyze models from photographs, and produce high-quality crafts in a short period of time.

Over four days, participants were organized into groups, wove new bird ornaments based on photos and shared guidance, compared their first round efforts, corrected mistakes together, and encouraged one another to improve. Their own words reflect the depth of the process.

Mirian, an artisan from the Marañón basin, captured the spirit of the workshop well:

“We learned many good things… patience, coordination, confidence. We also learned to listen to each other and accept corrections to improve quality.” For Darlyng, from the Ampiyacu, collective work was essential: “In my group everything was harmonious. Everyone shared, and that’s important. Sometimes we don’t want to share our chambira fiber, but here we learned that this doesn’t help us grow.” One of the most inspiring comments came from Magnolia from the Tahuayo region: “I never imagined being part of a workshop like this. Now I know I can make any bird with the techniques I learned. I feel happy about what I achieved.”

The workshop closed with a powerful message: when artisans listen to one another, correct each other with humility, and offer support, something remarkable happens—they become a team. That spirit was reflected in the 80 birds we purchased at the end of the workshop.

Basic Bird-Weaving Workshop – Villa Monte Alegre, Marañón (October 27–31)

A month later, we traveled to Villa Monte Alegre, where the Wildlife Conservation Society asked us to organize a workshop with 20 artisans from one of their partner communities to make woven birds for the first time. We recruited two of our most experienced artisan facilitators from the Marañon region to lead the training.

The artisans began with dyeing chambira fiber into the colors they would need for the birds they would make. They then formed teams to weave birds in a coordinated way. Each participant created their own wire molds, learned to standardize measurements, observe their teammates’ work, and above all, trust the process. Progress was slow at first, but something shifted midway: the collective rhythm accelerated, and participants began to believe in their own potential. By the third day, 90% had completed their first bird.

Then came a bigger challenge: weaving a second, more complex bird model. The level of uniformity surprised even the facilitators. We then asked them if they wanted a final test to make a new third model. Their answer was immediate: “Yes, we want to try it.”Their enthusiasm paid off—six artisans completed the new model with excellent quality.

The testimonies reflect how much this workshop meant to them. Zafiro told us: “This is the first time I’ve made these little birds. At the beginning I wanted to give up, but I kept trying, and now I know I can improve my family’s income.” María shared a lesson that made a big difference for her: “I learned how to make molds and measure the legs… now my birds won’t look uneven. They look more like the real bird, with better quality. That changes everything.” Sonia highlighted the patience of the facilitators: “I made my birds with better shape and details. I just need to keep practicing.”

We experienced a special sense of joy in these four days seeing a new group learn that with guidance, discipline, and practice, they could become ready to supply a real market. We gave their association a purchase order for 50 birds as a concrete sign of our confidence in them embarking on this journey.

Amazon Ecology will keep walking with artisans in our current and new communities by offering them trainings, tools, and realistic hope they can achieve things they once thought were beyond their reach.

Thank you for supporting this journey with us.  We will particularly appreciate as generous a gift as you can manage on Dec. 2 - Giving Tuesday when your gift will be amplified by matching funds from other donors.

Links:

• Amazon Ecology website & online store
• Amazon Ecology on Facebook
• Amazon Ecology on Instagram