News from 2024-08-09 / KfW Development Bank

Project with indigenous women strengthens traditional communities for forest conservation

Three people sit in the forest and look at plants
Women from the Rikbaktsa tribe in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso take part in the "Jewellery and Forest Knowledge" project.

The International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, which is celebrated every year on 9 August, focuses on these communities and their valuable knowledge. The Brazilian state of Mato Grosso is home to 43 indigenous peoples. The REM Mato Grosso (REM MT) programme is being implemented there with funding from KfW Development Bank. REM MT aims to protect the forest in the state and counteract deforestation. The programme is specifically committed to valuing and strengthening indigenous communities, as they protect and preserve the forest in traditional ways. Around ten initiatives are being implemented with indigenous women in Mato Grosso. These include the "Jewellery and Forest Knowledge" project, which enhances the culture and traditional knowledge of women and thus strengthens their personal responsibility and role in society.

The project, implemented specifically by Rikbaktsa women and coordinated by the Rikbaktsa Indigenous Women's Association (AIMURIK), began in 2022 and reaches 39 villages in the territories of Erikbaktsa, Japuíra and Escondido.

The main objectives are to promote traditional knowledge of medicinal herbs and handicrafts developed by women. At the same time, administrative structures are being strengthened to enable the increased participation of women through appropriate production and cultural practices, thereby deepening traditional, medical and craft knowledge in the areas.

A group of indigenous people from the Rikbaktsa tribe pose in traditional dress for a group photo
Rikbaktsa indigenous people took part in various activities of the initiative.

Numerous measures were implemented, such as workshops to exchange experiences on medicinal herbs and handicrafts, expeditions to collect medicinal plants and materials for the production of handicrafts, training courses, but also education on the use of social networks.

"Jewellery and Forest Knowledge" is just one of around 100 initiatives that exclusively benefit indigenous population groups. In particular, communities that also make a significant contribution to the conservation of the forest benefit from this. In addition to indigenous people, REM MT also supports family farms, small and medium-sized producers who practise sustainable agriculture and traditional communities.

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KfW Development Bank

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