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Change, transition, pivoting…these are just some of the words that have been used to describe this year of discomfort and challenges. At Global Village, we have been doing our part to continue to make a positive global impact in the lives of the artisans. One of our newest products illustrates the changes that are needed in a beautiful way – Butterfly Wing Jewelry from the Peruvian Amazon Jungle.
The Process of Making Butterfly Wing Jewelry
The impact of this jewelry keeps both the traditional ways of the Shipibo tribe sustained and protects the Amazon jungle simultaneously. Butterflies are raised as an income generating project during the off season of the Cocoa harvest. Members of the Shipibo community raise the butterflies in large netted enclosures. When the eggs are laid, and the caterpillars hatch, they are taken out to the jungle to feed on the wild plants and the days are counted.
This creates increased biodiversity in the jungle, offering a food source for the animals and birds. When the days are counted, the caterpillars are collected and placed back into the netted enclosures where they pupate. The pupa are cleaned to prevent disease and later hatch into butterflies. The cycle continues when the butterfly’s life comes to a natural end it lays one to several batches of eggs, then the wings are collected and dried for shipping.
They are carried for two hours by foot through the jungle to the local village, where they are then transported by boat for several days to Iquitos where the wings are shipped to artisans in Lima. As mahogany is illegally logged for the western market in this region in the Amazon Jungle, the butterfly wings are a vital source of income that helps protect the tribal lands from this illegal logging and it ensures the protection and future of the community.
The Impact of Global Village
This is just one of the thousands of stories that are being lived out everyday throughout the world. With your support of Global Village’s mission, we impact over 25,000 artisans in over 30 countries. We are each only a thread that is woven into the tapestry of human history but together we are able to make something beautiful.
Collaborating and Building Relationships Through Opportunities
Gratefully, Global Village will be able to continue to provide a visible presence in Billings representing the values of fairness, empathy, and caring for our fellow humans. We ask for your support again this year as part of our annual Friends Campaign.
With all change comes opportunities and as we navigate these new opportunities, we hope you will join us on the journey through your continued support. Because of your support, we are able to educate a generation of new conscious consumers that will fully embrace the impact that their purchases have on people in the developing areas of the world. We all want and deserve dignified lives where we can work hard to fulfill our dreams, build our communities, raise our children, and lead productive lives.
