What happens when we bring together guardians of biodiversity and offer the space for their stories to be shared – a project about listening.

Author: Ana Rosa
Leia em português. Leer en español.

Indigenous women are the guardians of thousands of stories about the biodiversity that surrounds them. With the support of SEZ, Stiftung Entwicklungs-Zusammenarbeit Baden-Württemberg, the Foundation for Development Cooperation of the German state of Baden-Württemberg, we aim to bring the stories of Indigenous women — Guardians of Biodiversity — closer to children in the German state of Baden-Württemberg.

Through the network of Indigenous and local communities engaged by Meli, we formed a group of Indigenous women from various ethnic backgrounds such as Aikewara, Krahô, Aymara, Kokama, Nahua, Zapotec, among others. This group meets weekly through digital platforms, where we offer guidance and inspiration so that different Guardians of Biodiversity can share their stories in a safe space. Creative writer Camila Saloto Nogueira, along with Indigenous writers Yazuri, Shirlley Mamani, and Cruwakwyj Krahô, and children’s author Heliana Barriga, have already inspired the rest of the group during our weekly inspiration calls.

“The Guardians of Biodiversity project is a space for learning and personal development.
Having the opportunity to hear women’s experiences as they write stories about flowers that represent their lives and communities is a wonderful gift from our Mother Earth.”

Shirlley Mamani, Aymara Indigenous leader

The stories are inspired by flowers native to each woman’s territory — a way of strengthening their connection with local biodiversity. Indigenous lives are deeply intertwined with the biodiversity around them, with this relationship visible even in early childhood play.

“Being involved in this project means walking through a living universe of memories and knowledge.
There is an ancient wisdom that pulses in the womb of nature and in the hearts of women.
Indigenous women weave, with steady hands and open hearts, stories from the thread that unites the feminine and the Earth.
They listen to this ancestral voice, which teaches us to nurture, protect, and be reborn.
In this way, they remind us that we are part of the whole on this planet.
We are roots, we are stems, we are flowers.”

Camila Saloto Nogueira, creative writing mentor

“I really enjoy listening to the old stories of my ancestors and sharing them with other indigenous relatives. I also like to hear the stories of relatives to strengthen our education, so that our stories and our roots are not forgotten, but remembered and recognized in other regions as well.”

Cruwakwyj Krahô

This project aims to use child-friendly language to promote the value of biodiversity, both within Indigenous communities and in international spaces. To do this, the women will present their stories both in their communities and directly to children in Germany during events in Baden-Württemberg.

“As a coordinator, I love being able to support the writers with ideas for their texts.
It’s a mutual learning experience, not just among the writers, but with the whole group, as we listen to each woman’s story from her unique cosmovision.”

Gabino Damián Jiménez Martínez, Zapotec Indigenous leader and project coordinator